MOSCOW, August 19. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will hold an extensive dialogue in Baku as bilateral relations between the two countries are at a high level of allied interaction, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu told TASS.
"As it was announced previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin is paying an official visit to Baku on August 18-19," the ambassador said in an interview with TASS. "As far as I know, both presidents are set for an extensive dialogue."
"As of today, relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are at a very high level of allied interaction," he noted.
"President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to Russia in April and had an extensive conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin," Bulbuloglu continued. "Numerous issues were discussed."
"Our president participated in the solemn meeting dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Baikal-Amur Mainline [BAM]… As you know, our president’s father, Heydar Aliyev, played a major role in the construction and completion of the Baikal-Amur Mainline," the ambassador said. "All participants in the meeting pointed to his personal contribution."
"The Baikal-Amur Mainline was not simply a construction, but it was a particular symbol of the Soviet era. It should be noted that as of today BAM is still operation for the benefit of modern Russia," Bulbuloglu added.
Russian President Putin arrived in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on Sunday. Key official and working events are scheduled for Monday, August 19. Traditionally, Putin will visit the Alley of Honor and lay a wreath to the grave of Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev. After that, he will visit the Alley of Martyrs and venerate the memory of those who died for Azerbaijan’s independence.
The program of the state visit will begin with the ceremony of the Russian president’s official meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev. The ceremony will be held in the latter’s Zagulba residence on the Caspian coast. The two heads of state will first speak tete-a-tete and then will be joined by their delegations. The talks are expected to yield a joint statement by the leaders, and a number of interstate documents. Following the talks, Putin and Aliyev will brief journalists on their results.
The program of the visit also features visits to the Baku White City, the city’s eastern part, which is being restored and developed under the project of the same name, and to the city’s Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral. The visit will end in a state reception Aliyev will give in honor of his Russian guest.