The negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Moscow confirmed that Russian-Azerbaijani relations have moved out of a phase of tension and into a new stage of practical cooperation. The official statements from both countries predominantly focused on deepening cooperation, developing economic relations, regional security, and activating the ‘3+3’ format.
Lavrov's statement that issues related to the December 2024 crash of an AZAL aircraft have been resolved signaled that one of the most sensitive bilateral crises has been overcome at the political level.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, for his part, stated that Azerbaijan was colonized by the Russian Empire in the 19th century, and being part of the Soviet Union was also viewed as a period devoid of independence. However, Moscow evaluates Azerbaijan from a geopolitical significance perspective, which means that the Kremlin is interested in maintaining constructive relations with Aliyev.
