During the upcoming visit to Baku, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will discuss issues of bilateral trade-economic, inter-regional and cross-border cooperation, and humanitarian aspects of the relationship, the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the status of the Caspian Sea and cooperation within international organizations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It was reported earlier that Lavrov would visit Baku on 3-4 April. On the eve of the visit the Russian minister will hold meetings in Yerevan. Both visits coincide with the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the respective countries.
"We view Azerbaijan as a strategic partner in the Caucasus and the Caspian region. We develop relations on the basis of equality, mutual respect for interests and good neighbourly relations," the ministry statement says.
Russian side hopes effective work of the Intergovernmental Commission on economic cooperation in trade and economic sphere to be discussed between Lavrov and Mammadyarov, as well as the implementation of major joint projects, including in the energy field.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, last year bilateral trade exceeded $ 2.5bn, and the potential for its further increase has not been exhausted.
The agenda still includes the problem of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, especially in light of the recent meeting between the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Sochi on 23 January.
"Russia welcomes the willingness of the conflicting parties to accelerate the achievement of an agreement on the basic principles, taking into account the work done so far, and it will fully support them, both in the trilateral format and as the co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group," the Foreign Ministry says.
The issue of inter-regional and cross-border cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan as a key element of bilateral relations will also not be left out.
The ministers will consider the humanitarian aspects of Russian-Azerbaijani relations, in particular a new joint project launched in 2011 - the Baku International Humanitarian Forum.
"We hope that it will become a promising regional and international cooperation format," the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

AzerTAc