New dynamics in Azerbaijani-Russian relations

On October 9, a one-on-one meeting took place in Dushanbe between the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, which is assessed as a significant event that eliminated the tension in relations between the two countries that had arisen over the past year.

The meeting took place in a constructive, open and business-like atmosphere. One of the main topics of the negotiations was the incident with the Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL) aircraft, shot down by Azerbaijan's northern neighbor in December 2024 in Russian airspace.

Many dark moments of this tragedy, for which the public had long awaited answers, were this time clarified personally by the first person of the Russian Federation. Putin recalled that he apologized immediately after the incident, and openly stated that Moscow accepts responsibility, fully supports the investigation and will launch compensation mechanisms. This shows that Azerbaijan's main demands on this issue have been accepted in substance.

The Russian leader also specifically explained the reasons for the incident: "The penetration of unmanned aerial vehicles belonging to Ukraine into Russian airspace and the technical malfunction that occurred at that moment in the Air Defense System led to the tragedy."

This clarified the tension that had arisen between the two countries and showed that official Moscow does not intend to evade responsibility. Of course, this statement indicates that bilateral relations are emerging from the stage of tension and are heading toward a normal course.

President Ilham Aliyev also expressed gratitude for the transparent conduct of the investigation and personal control by Putin. The meeting in Dushanbe also made it clear that the principles of strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Russia remain unchanged.

Growth in economic ties, sustainable cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, and the restoration of political dialogue confirm this once again. Most importantly, this meeting crossed out the plans of such forces as Simonyan, Solovyov, and Zatulin, who feed on anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric and try to harm relations between the two countries. Because Moscow's official position is aimed not at destroying relations, but at strengthening them.

Putin's open and pragmatic statement can also be regarded as a response to the negative campaign against Azerbaijan being conducted in Russia.

The message from Dushanbe is clear: Moscow-Baku relations will continue in the spirit of alliance, and events will be approached with a cool-headed, realistic political approach. This meeting effectively eliminated the tension that had accumulated over recent months and entered history as the beginning of a new stage directed toward the future.

More details - in the Baku TV video: