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Azerbaijan’s president lauds ‘absolutely right' policy of supporting Russian language

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said the Russian language is in high demand in the country

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev

© Alexei Druzhinin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has described his country’s policy of supporting the Russian language as "absolutely right" and successful.

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"Our policy of supporting the Russian language, of creating better conditions for its development is absolutely right. And we see its positive results," he told Rossiya 24 TV channel on Monday.

According to the Azerbaijani leader, the Russian language is in high demand domestically and it is only growing. "Speaking Russian is a necessity. On the other hand, it is a tribute to our historical ties. I see that it is in high demand in our society," he said.

In his words, Russian is taught at most secondary schools in Azerbaijan. Moreover, two leading Russian universities, the Moscow Lomonosov State University and the Sechenov Medical Academy, have branches in Azerbaijan.

Apart from that, thanks to the positive attitude about the Russian language, Azerbaijan is a popular destination for Russian tourists. "About one million Russian nationals who visit Azerbaijan, I think, come here because they feel comfortable," Aliyev said.

At the same time, the policy towards the Russian language does not mar the Azerbaijani language as the republic’s official language. "Naturally, each citizen of the country must know his or her state language. There are no problems with that in Azerbaijan," he added.

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