The event in Baku was chaired by First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, Co-Chair of the Commission from the Russian side Andrey Yatskin, and Co-Chair from the Azerbaijani side, First Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis Ali Ahmadov.
The discussion focused on advancing parliamentary diplomacy, cooperation in healthcare and the training of medical personnel, as well as prospects for collaboration in science and education.
“As President Vladimir Putin has emphasised, our country attaches great importance to friendly and allied relations with Baku,” stated Andrey Yatskin.
He conveyed greetings to the meeting participants from Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko.
The senator stressed that ties between parliamentarians constitute a vital element of bilateral relations, serving to reinforce trust and further promote the entire spectrum of Russian-Azerbaijani relations. “Interparliamentary contacts between the Federation Council and the Milli Majlis are progressing successfully, not least due to the proactive work of the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation.”
Russian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians are actively engaged in monitoring presidential and parliamentary elections. Election observation is conducted both bilaterally and through international organisations. Andrey Yatskin invited his Azerbaijani colleagues to participate in the observation mission for the elections to the State Duma this September.
Speaking about healthcare cooperation, the senator noted that conditions are being created for enhanced interaction in the areas of the prevention and treatment of infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, the regulation of medicines and medical devices, alongside the development of public health. Joint programmes are being implemented in oncology, cardiology, and healthcare digitalisation.
He added that special attention is being paid to medical education. The principal centre for training highly qualified doctors and pharmacists is Sechenov University and its branch in Baku. “It can be said that Azerbaijani youth are able to receive a high-quality Russian education without leaving their own republic. Another prime example of such cooperation is the Baku branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University, which has been operating successfully for 17 years,” remarked Andrey Yatskin.
Overall, cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan in science and education has a long and rich history, the senator added. The Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of Educational Documents, Academic Degrees, and Titles has been in force for more than 20 years. Azerbaijan is among the top ten countries whose citizens choose Russia as a place to pursue their studies.
“Our country is committed to further expanding educational collaboration with Azerbaijan. In this regard, the project to establish a joint Russian-Azerbaijani University in Baku on the basis of St Petersburg State University is of particular significance,” said the First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council.
Andrey Yatskin also highlighted the successful development of bilateral scientific ties. An intergovernmental Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation is currently in force, and effective joint work has been established at the level of the academies of sciences.
“Among the most promising areas of scientific cooperation is the conduct of fundamental research into the environmental state of the Caspian Sea,” stated the senator.
He stressed that parliamentarians should provide all possible support for educational and scientific cooperation initiatives between the two countries.
Andrey Yatskin noted the significance of cooperation at the interregional level; currently, relations with Azerbaijan are maintained by more than 70 regions of the Russian Federation. He welcomed the plans of the Azerbaijani side to hold the next meeting of the Russian-Azerbaijani Interregional Forum in Azerbaijan later this year.
The event was attended by Russian senators Ivan Abramov, Iliyas Umakhanov, Evgenia Lamonova, Boris Khachirov, State Duma deputies, Azerbaijani parliamentarians, and representatives of ministries and departments of both countries.
On the same day, Andrey Yatskin met with Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova.
The officials highlighted that the Cooperation Commission is an important platform for expanding cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries and for discussing a range of other pressing issues. They also agreed that the recent meeting had been a success and that very fruitful discussions had taken place.
The successful development of ties between the legislative bodies of the two countries was highlighted. It was noted that meetings between parliamentary speakers and members serve to further expand these relations.
The Russian delegation also visited the Baku branch of Ivan Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University.