Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have today hosted an official reception in honor of President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and his spouse Svetlana Medvedeva at the Gulustan palace, AzerTAj state news agency reported.
The heads of states made speeches at the reception.
President Ilham Aliyev said reciprocal visits by the Azerbaijani and Russian leaders contribute to developing the bilateral relations.
"Every visit marks a new page in our relations," he added.
The Azerbaijani leader said his country enjoys fruitful political and economic cooperation with Russia.
"The documents we will sign during this visit will play an important role in development of our relations."
The President praised the bilateral trade, saying it increased despite last year marked the global economic crisis.
On the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, President Ilham Aliyev spoke of Russia`s role in the problem`s solution.
President Dmitry Medvedev called Azerbaijan Russia`s strategic partner. He said the documents to be signed during his visit would strengthen "our friendly relations, and, at the same time, contribute to strengthening the bilateral legal basis".
The Russian leader praised "strong economic cooperation" with Azerbaijan.
On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Dmitry Medvedev said Russia will continue its "active role in the settlement of the problem".
He praised the humanitarian and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Dmitry Medvedev hailed Azerbaijan`s respecting the Russian language and culture, saying "we have the same attitude towards the big Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia".