SHUSHA, Azerbaijan, September 30. Azerbaijan is increasingly becoming a significant player in Russia's foreign policy, said Leonid Slutsky, head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), in an interview with Trend, CBC TV, and AzTV.
"President Ilham Aliyev is one of President Vladimir Putin’s most trusted partners, not just within the post-Soviet space or the immediate neighborhood. There are currently 1,270 enterprises in Azerbaijan that are backed by Russian capital and investments. Our economic cooperation is on a steady rise, with trade between our countries already reaching $4.5 billion. That’s a substantial figure, but it’s far from the limit," Slutsky stated.
He also mentioned that the number of significant bilateral infrastructure projects is growing.
"When we consider our shared perspectives on the future of global politics and the international system, especially in this region, we find many commonalities. Above all, we believe that every country, along with its people, traditions, history, and culture - something particularly important here in Shusha - will become a unique center of influence and decision-making. Each sovereign nation will independently determine its own path for development," Slutsky emphasized.