The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in Istanbul.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko stated that Russian-Azerbaijani relations hold significant potential for further development. “Russia is committed to strengthening ties with Azerbaijan,” she emphasised. She also asked that her best wishes be conveyed to the President and First Vice President of Azerbaijan.
The Speaker of the upper house highlighted the importance of completing the procedures related to addressing the aftermath of the 2024 AZAL plane crash and expressed her condolences to the Azerbaijani side.
The meeting participants noted the regular nature of contacts between Russian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians. At the end of last year, a meeting of the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Federal Assembly and the Milli Majlis took place in Moscow, with the next session scheduled to be held in Baku.
“We are awaiting Azerbaijan’s proposals regarding the date and venue of the 13th Russian-Azerbaijani Interregional Forum. At present, more than seventy constituent entities of the Russian Federation maintain ties with Azerbaijan,” Valentina Matvienko said.
Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova conveyed greetings from President Ilham Aliyev and reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
The situation surrounding Iran was also discussed during the conversation. The Federation Council Speaker recalled that President of Russia Vladimir Putin had expressed gratitude to the President of Azerbaijan for assisting in the evacuation of Russian citizens from Iran and for facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid from Russia to the Iranian people via Azerbaijan.
Valentina Matvienko and Sahiba Gafarova also noted the traditionally high level of bilateral cooperation at international parliamentary forums, including the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the CIS and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
An exchange of views was held on issues of mutual interest.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Petr Tolstoy, and Secretary General and Head of the Secretariat of the Council of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States Dmitry Kobitsky.