MOSCOW/BAKU. May 25 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev at the Kremlin, the Kremlin's website said.
"The level and character of relations between Azerbaijan and all members of the Eurasian Economic Union [EAEU] are serious and profound. Trade and economic ties are developing gradually to the benefit of relations between all of our nations. I would very much like this to continue in the future, given that the potential for regional cooperation is very, very high," Putin told Aliyev.
Overall, the relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia is "at an advanced level, [and is] also gradually developing according to the principles of equality and respect for each other's interests, and in accordance with the February 2022 Alliance Declaration," Putin said.
He thanked Aliyev for deciding to join today's EAEU meeting.
For his part, Aliyev thanked Putin for Russia's efforts towards normalizing his country's relations with Armenia.
"We very much appreciate these efforts, and the fact that you will attend today's trilateral meeting [between Putin, Aliyev and Pashinyan] also speaks volumes about Russia attaching great importance to getting Azerbaijan and Armenia to finally reach a peace agreement," Aliyev said.
This will be reached faster now that Armenia has recognized Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, he said.
"I think that after the Armenian leaders' recent statements recognizing Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan and recognizing Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, stating the area of the Republic of Azerbaijan in specific numbers [86,600 square kilometers], the issue of agreeing other points of a peace treaty will proceed much more easily, because this was the main factor which we could not agree on. Once again, Vladimir Vladimirovich, I am counting on today's trilateral format to make a step [forward] in the process of the two countries' normalization," Aliyev said.
Earlier, Aliyev was a guest at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.