"We regard our relations as strategic partnership. We are partners not barely in word but truly in deed," Mr. Aliyev said at the opening ceremony of Azerbaijan's Year in Russia on Wednesday in Moscow.
According to him, Azerbaijan assigns priority to this event because we are convinced that it will contribute to rapprochement of our people.
Russian-Azeri relations are at a high level today, Ilkham Aliyev noted. Moscow and Baku are maintaining active political dialogue, solving regional development and security problems and expanding economic ties.
In 2004 bilateral trade turnover grew by 50%, the President of Azerbaijan said. "It means that our businessmen have common interests and our economic cooperation is very beneficial," he emphasized.
Speaking about humanitarian relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, Mr. Aliyev stressed that the Russian language and culture was always respected in his country.
"This has been always typical of our country. Today these good traditions are developing and consolidating," the head of state stressed.
Preparations for Russia's Year in Azerbaijan in 2006 have already been launched, Ilkham Aliyev reported. "Our bilateral relations will be developing and cover new spheres," he added.
