On April 9th Speaker of Azerbaijan Milli Majlis Ogtay Asadov met Chairperson of Russia`s Federation Council Valentina Matvienko. 
First they met in private. Then the meeting continued in presence of delegations.
Asadov said friendly Azerbaijan and Russia have deep-rooted historical ties. He said Mrs. Matvienko`s visit would give an impetus to development of bilateral relations.
The Speaker noted Azerbaijan and Russia were strategic partners, and underlined the role of the two countries` presidents in boosting bilateral ties. He said more than 160 interstate and intergovernmental documents were signed between Azerbaijan and Russia. He added Azerbaijan-Russia trade turnover exceeds $2.8 billion.
Asadov also stressed the role of parliaments in expansion of relationship. "We have effective cooperation not only within CIS PA, but also other regional and international organizations."
Asadov also touched upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict describing the problem as a `serious`s obstacle to development of the country and establishment of peace in the region. He expressed hope that as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia would step up efforts to contribute to settlement of the conflict.
Mrs. Matvienko, in turn, said reciprocal visits play an important role in development of bilateral relations. She noted friendly relations between presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia lays groundwork for boosting cooperation.
The Chairperson of Federation Council also praised the ongoing development in Azerbaijan. She also noted though Azerbaijan regained independence 20 years ago, in a short period the country`s international influence increased very much.
Mrs. Matvienko also stressed the role of legislative bodies in development of bilateral cooperation.
The chairperson also said a new draft agreement was being prepared for mutual protection of investments. She added this document would contribute to increasing trade turnover between the two countries even more.
On the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mrs. Matvienko said her country regards that the problem must be settled on the basis of norms and principles of international law, particularly territorial integrity of states.

AzerTAc