Russia-Azerbaijan relations are developing in a positive direction and rest on a solid legal and contractual foundation, Pavel Klachkov, director of the branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told The Caspian Post in an interview.

According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assessment of the current state of relations between Moscow and Baku is clear and reflects the real situation.

“First of all, I would like to emphasize that the assessment given by our president is extremely clear and reflects the real state of affairs. Indeed, relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are developing in a fairly positive direction. These are not just words, but a statement of facts: there are concrete aspects to this cooperation,” Klachkov said.

He noted that the two countries are seeing steady growth in trade turnover, economic development and new opportunities for mutual supplies of goods.

“The volume of accumulated Russian investment in Azerbaijan’s economy amounts to billions of rubles. Our relations are based on a strong legal and contractual foundation, including the Declaration on Allied Interaction,” he stressed.

Klachkov also said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is making significant efforts to fill bilateral agreements with concrete substance.

Photo: AZERTAC

According to him, humanitarian cooperation also occupies an important place in relations between the two countries. In this context, he separately highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in organizing assistance for Iran.

“According to our president Vladimir Putin, Baku acted immediately and effectively. This is exactly an example of how allied relations work positively in practice,” Klachkov said.

Speaking about key areas of cooperation, he first singled out energy.

“Energy, of course, is one of the key areas. Russia and Azerbaijan are major players in the global energy market, and our interaction in this sphere is not competition, but synergy. Both countries are interested in stabilizing and diversifying energy supplies,” he noted.

In addition, according to Klachkov, there is major mutual interest in the development of logistics, particularly the North-South transport corridor with access to Iran. He described the project as strategically important for strengthening transport connectivity across the entire Eurasian continent.

Commenting on the prospect of high-level meetings, the expert noted that direct dialogue between the leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan is of particular importance for the further development of relations.

“Vladimir Putin directly announced a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. This shows that the leaders of our countries are committed to constant and direct dialogue,” he said.

Klachkov emphasized that the dynamics of Russia-Azerbaijan relations are not merely being maintained, but are gaining momentum.

According to him, Russia views Azerbaijan as an important partner in the South Caucasus and across the broader Eurasian space. Moscow is interested in further deepening trade and economic ties, implementing joint infrastructure and energy projects, and strengthening cultural and humanitarian contacts.

photo: getty images

“We need a stable, predictable Azerbaijan, with which we are linked by ties of good-neighborliness and strategic partnership. Our relations are a guarantee of peace and prosperity in the region. Therefore, we look to the future with confidence and expect new, significant results from our cooperation. High-level meetings, of course, should continue and be filled with concrete decisions,” Pavel Klachkov concluded.

By Samir Muradov