Putin to make working visit to Azerbaijan on Tuesday
2013 August 12 ( Monday ) 11:40:44
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday 13 August is to visit Azerbaijan on a working visit. According to the results of the upcoming talks with President Ilham Aliyev it is expected to sign five or six bilateral agreements, including in the areas of energy and transport, RIA-Novosti reported.
"The composition of the Russian delegation stresses that the negotiations will discuss almost full range of bilateral issues," said the presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.
According to him, the Russian delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, Energy Minister Alexander Novak, Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev, as well as the General Director of Rosoboronexport Anatoly Isaikin, the head of the Russian delegation to the multilateral talks on the Caspian Sea, Igor Bratchikov, the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin and the head of Lukoil Vaghit Alekperov.
Ushakov said that on August 13, when the Russian-Azerbaijani talks will take place in Baku, a friendly visit will be paid to Azerbaijan’s capital by the Russian Caspian Flotilla ships - guided missile ship Dagestan and small artillery ship Volgodonsk.
According to Ushakov, at the end of the upcoming talks the sides will sign a package of bilateral documents, including the Comprehensive Plan for cooperation between Russia’s and Azerbaijan's Ministries of Emergency Situations. In addition, agreement could be signed in the field of transport and energy.
"Two-way trade between our countries has a stable upward trend. According to the results in 2012, it increased by 11% - to $ 3.4 billion in January-May of this year, and the turnover rose by 50%," said Ushakov.
Russia and Azerbaijan have good prospects for cooperation in the oil and gas sector. Possible energy projects in early July have already been discussed at the Aliyev Sechin meeting in Baku, as well as with the head of SOCAR Rovnag Abdullayev. As previously reported, Rosneft is interested in participating in a project to develop the gas field Absheron in the Caspian Sea. In 2012, from Azerbaijan to Russia were supplied 1.55 billion cubic meters of gas. During January-June 2013 the volume of its purchases totaled 0.88 billion cubic meters.
It is expected that in the upcoming negotiations in Baku Putin and Aliyev will discuss preparations for the III Baku International Humanitarian Forum, which will take place October 31 - November 1.
It is expected that the Presidents will also touch on the key issues of international and regional issues, the legal regime of the Caspian Sea, and the problems of the Karabakh conflict.
As informed sources told Turan, part of the talks will be held in Gabala, 200 km from Baku, where a special government residence has been built for the reception of distinguished guests. -02D-