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Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to visit Azerbaijan on August 18 for talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on a strategic partnership between the two countries and other international and regional issues. Putin is expected to comment during the two-day visit on peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have been taking place following years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Notedly, Azerbaijan is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court, meaning Putin is able to travel to the country without fearing arrest under the international warrant issued for him by the court for war crimes in Ukraine.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will head to Azerbaijan for a two-day official trip to enhance relations and discus regional and international developments on Sunday, the Kremlin said.
The visit would be Putin’s first to the Caucasus country since 2018, and comes as Russia seeks to re-assert itself as a peacemaker between Azerbaijan and arch-foe Armenia.
“The further development of Russian-Azerbaijani relations… as well as topical international and regional problems will be discussed,” the Kremlin said in a statement Friday.
“Following the visit, it is planned to adopt a Joint Statement of the Heads of State, and sign intergovernmental and other documents,” it said.
European countries turning away from Russian gas have increasingly looked to oil and gas-rich Azerbaijan as a substitute since Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.
Radio Liberty