SAEDNEWS: Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to Azerbaijan from August 18-19, the Kremlin said.
According to SAEDNEWS, During upcoming talks, Russian and Azerbaijani officials are set to discuss the further development of their strategic partnership and alliance, as well as current international and regional issues.
Following the visit, it is anticipated that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will adopt a joint statement, with intergovernmental and other agreements expected to be signed.
In advance of the state visit, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu made a trip to Baku, where he met with Aliyev and Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov on August 6. Following his discussions in Azerbaijan, Shoigu informed journalists that he addressed Russia’s position on the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
The discussions are likely to touch upon the initiatives proposed by Putin on June 14. During that address, the Russian president outlined several conditions necessary to initiate the peace process, including the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Luhansk and Donetsk republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. He also called for a neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status for Ukraine, along with the lifting of all Western sanctions against Russia.
However, in light of recent events in the Kursk region, Putin stated that negotiations are impossible with those who “indiscriminately strike at civilians, at civilian infrastructure, or try to create threats to nuclear power facilities.” He emphasized that Ukraine appears to be trying to bolster its negotiating positions through its actions in the Kursk region but warned that such provocations will elicit a strong and deserved response.
