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Russian FM: Russia, Azerbaijan have no territorial claims

Politics Materials 11 February 2011 17:37 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 11 / Trend E. Tariverdiyeva /

At present, Russia and Azerbaijan have no territorial claims, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich said, commenting on the article "Staying in Russia" published in "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" on February 9, 2011.

"The border between our countries has been determined through the Caspian Sea and onshore. The land boundary line has been determined by the treaty on the state border, which was signed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Sept. 3, 2010. It corresponds to the former administrative border between Dagestan ASSR and Azerbaijan SSR," Lukashevich's statement, published on the official website of the Foreign Ministry, said.

Moscow, Makhachkala and Baku are well aware about the problems, indicated in the articles, with two small villages in Azerbaijan populated by Russian citizens. The problem relates to the long-time period when no one in the Soviet Union could imagine that a great country would fall apart, and administrative boundaries become state, Lukashevich's statement said.

Judging from the available material, Dagestan ASSR and Azerbaijan SSR mutually transferred small areas for temporary use for agricultural purposes in the Soviet period. Dagestan got lands for temporary use to stop pastures of cattle in winter in Azerbaijan, the statement published on the foreign ministry's website said.

"Permanent shepherd's sites were gradually formed there. Homes appeared there. So, settlements Hrah-Uba-Uba and Uryan appeared. The validity of the USSR government's decision dated 1954 on the exchange of territories finally expired in 2004. No other documents, which referred to the presence of territories in Azerbaijan belonging to the Russia were found in the central or national archives," the article said.

Nevertheless, the problem of Russian citizens living in these settlements, actually exists. It is complicated and delicate. The Foreign Ministry together with other federal departments and ministries, the leadership of Dagestan deals with it, a statement said.

"We are in close contact on this issue with the Azerbaijani side and the residents of two villages. Baku has recently held regular ministerial consultations. Azerbaijani partners assured that they will render every possible assistance in the proper settlement of the problems of Russian citizens. Russian ambassador in Baku works with the migration services of Azerbaijan. A joint trip to Hrah-Uba-Uba and Uryan will be made in the nearest future," the statement said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is convinced this issue will not be resolved by any protest actions. It deals with specific people. Hard work, based on a strictly individual approach to each person, every family, for their interests not to be violated, is required, the ministry said.

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