Putin brought the entire Russian government to Baku (Updated)

The state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan is of exceptional importance for bilateral relations, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated during a meeting. "Today, we have already exchanged views and expressed satisfaction with how relations between our countries are developing - relations between friends, neighbors, and allies. In all areas, we see positive dynamics.

The composition of our delegations speaks volumes. There are indeed many topics for discussion and interaction, and the scope of our mutual activities is expanding year by year. We are committed to strengthening our cooperation in all areas, and I am confident that your visit will be another important step in bringing our countries and peoples closer together," Aliyev noted.

In response, Vladimir Putin mentioned that the delegation members had already had the opportunity to communicate productively in an informal setting. "We have very representative delegations on both sides. Almost the entire government of the Russian Federation is present here. Working in such a broad format allows us to outline steps for the near term and the future," Putin said.

"We have just had a chance, in a smaller format, to go over a number of absolutely priority issues, and our colleagues had the opportunity - last night, informally, as well as today during the day, to communicate with each other and outline steps for the near future," the Russian president emphasized.

In the afternoon, expanded negotiations began in Baku between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Prior to that, they held one-on-one talks for an hour and a half.

The Russian delegation participating in the negotiations includes: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Ministers Alexander Novak and Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Aides Yuri Ushakov and Ruslan Edelgeriyev, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, Presidential Advisor Igor Levitin, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev, Head of “Rospotrebnadzor” Anna Popova, Head of “Rosselkhoznadzor” Sergey Dankvert, Head of “Rostrud” Mikhail Ivankov, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev, President of VTB Bank Andrey Kostin, “Gazprom” CEO Alexey Miller, “Rosneft” CEO Igor Sechin, and “Vnesheconombank” Chairman Igor Shuvalov.

The Azerbaijani side is represented in the negotiations by  Deputy Prime Ministers and the heads of relevant ministries and departments.