MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. Moscow and Baku are "moving towards fully realizing the potential" of the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between the nations thanks to continued regular contacts at various levels, including through the heads of state, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said opening talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

Lavrov said the dialogue at the level of the Foreign Ministries of both countries again "reinforces regular contacts between the presidents as well as through governments, ministries and departments, parliaments."

"All this demonstrates that despite occasional difficulties - and they are inevitable in life - we are moving towards fully realizing the potential of the Moscow Declaration on Allied Cooperation, which we signed on February 22, 2022."

Lavrov also pointed to the date of the signing: "The figure, by the way, is 2-22-22."

Russia is pleased to welcome its Azeri colleagues in Moscow and to continue the dialogue at the level of the heads of the Foreign Ministries.