BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 22
Trend:
Russia and Azerbaijan are bound by centuries-old ties of friendship and good neighborliness, which today, as Vladimir Vladimirovich noted, are reaching a qualitatively new level, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said making a press statement together with Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Trend reports.
"There is a very broad legal framework between us – 245 documents have been signed. But the Declaration signed today is of particular importance among them. This Declaration brings our relations to the level of an alliance. This is both a great privilege and a great responsibility. We have been moving towards this day stubbornly, for a long time, building up the potential for cooperation, building relations based on sincerity, good neighborliness, pragmatism, and taking into account mutual interests. Specific work on the Declaration on Allied Interaction began just over a year ago. And during this time, relevant expert groups of our countries agreed on a very extensive document consisting of 43 provisions and covering almost all the main areas of our activity," Azerbaijani president said.
"The first paragraph of the Declaration says that the parties will build their relations on the basis of mutual respect for independence, state sovereignty, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. This provision attests to the nature of our relations. It is evidence that these relations have stood the test of time and are based, as I have already said, on friendly feelings, mutual interests and aspirations for the future. The document not only sums up the results of many years of joint work, but also opens up great prospects for the future. We will build up political cooperation. We will support each other in international structures, as before, we will increase mutual trade, the volume of mutual trade, and we will resolve all issues that are on the agenda," the head of state said.