The Consular General of Azerbaijan to Saint-Petersburg, Gudsi Osmanov, is on a visit to the Murmansk province of the Russian Federation. The visit is linked with the task by the Azerbaijani President regarding the control of migration problems of the Azerbaijanis, as well as to strengthen the Azerbaijani diaspora in the north-west region of Russia, Osmanov informed Trend special Correspondent.
Meetings have therefore been held with the Governor of the province Yuri Evdokimov, Mayor of Musmansk Mikhail Savchenko, Deputy Chairman of the Province, Duma Nikolai Aleksey, Director of the Federal Migration Service Department, Alexander Boykov and other senior officials. According to Osmanov, an agreement has already been reached that in May of the next year, Cultural Days of Azerbaijan will be held in Murmansk through the support of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture and the Murmansk Government.
The diplomat stressed that an agreement had been reached that in the near future, the representatives of the Consulate General of Azerbaijan will visit Murmansk to assist in legalizing the Azerbaijani citizens. The representative of the Federal Migration Service Department has stated that they do not wish to expel, but would like to legalize, the Azerbaijanis residing here.
The final part of the visit of the Azerbaijani Consular General includes holding a meeting with the activists of the Azerbaijani diaspora organization functioning in the north-west region of Russia, including Murmansk and the Volgograd provinces and Karelia Republic.
According to information provided by the Migration Service, 22,000 Azerbaijanis reside in the Murmansk province, 8,000 of which are citizens of Russia. 123 more Azerbaijani citizens have applied for Russian citizenship in 2006.