Editor's Note:photos were added
Russia, Astrakhan, Oct. 27 / Trend special corr. V. Tyukayev /
A monument to Azerbaijani National Leader Heydar Aliyev, which was opened in Astrakhan, is another evidence of friendship between Russia and Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening ceremony of the monument.
"Russia and Azerbaijan are not only neighbors on the Caspian Sea. We are strategic partners," President Aliyev said.
The monument opened to Azerbaijani National Leader Heydar Aliyev is a significant historic event in the history of relations between Russia and Azerbaijan," President Aliyev said.
"Throughout his life Heydar Aliyev worked for the benefit of the Azerbaijani people. He always loved Russia and the Russian people. A part of his life was inextricably linked to Russia, where he studied and worked," he said.
He did a lot for successful development of the friendly relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, President Aliyev said.
President Aliyev said that the monument and the park arond it will become a symbol of friendship and fraternity between two peoples, and an important factor in developing bilateral Azerbaijani-Russian relations.
"Even after we ceased to live in one state, the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia began to develop rapidly after Heydar Aliyev came to power in 1993. We see a positive development within the years in all directions. Today this gives us a basis to characterize our relations as relations of strategic partners", President Aliyev said.
President Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and Russia seek to ensure active multilateral cooperation in the region for the Caspian Sea to be a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
"We have already determined our territorial boundaries with Russia in the Caspian Sea. We agreed the issues on the demarcation of the state onshore border during Russian president Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Azerbaijan this year. All these factors contribute positively to the entire atmosphere in our region," he said.
Today, Russia and Azerbaijan, as two Caspian and two Caucasus countries, play an important role in regional cooperation, strengthening security in the region and economic development.
"I am confident that the stabilizing role of our countries will continue to grow", President Aliyev said.
Today, Baku and Moscow actively develop economic ties and successfully solve the energy issues, as well as cooperate in the field of culture when political relations between the two countries are at a high level, " President Aliyev said.
"I am grateful to Astrakhan people and Astrakhan Region Governor Alexander Zhilkin for supporting our initiative to erect the monument to Heydar Aliyev in this developing city. This monument is a symbol of friendship among our peoples," he said.
The agreement on the erection of the monument was reached during the visit of chairman of Astrakhan regional government Konstantin Markelov to Baku in December last year.
Abdin Farzaliyev, head of Narimanov district executive power, inspected several sites for the monument. Afterwards, it was planned to build a bronze monument with a height of more than 7 meters on the embankment of the Volga backwater in the Kirov district of Astrakhan.
The square will be significantly changed by agreement with the Azerbaijani side. The zone will cover the embankment along the whole coast: from the bridge on Lebediniy Lake to the bridge near the temple of the Holy Prince Vladimir.
The accomplishment of the square was made by specialists of the Institute "Azerstroyproekt".
The Azerbaiajni side will finance the work.
Photo - www.azertag.com
