The first deputy chairman of the State Duma of Russia, special representative of Russia on migration and citizenship issues, Zatulin, stated that one should not be deceived about the normalization of relations between Russia and Azerbaijan:
He noted that Azerbaijan is not a strategic partner for Russia, and one should not pretend that there are no political contradictions between the two countries:
"Azerbaijan is not a strategic partner, but that does not mean that we should not have cooperation in various areas," Zatulin said:
He also emphasized that the position of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Ukraine should not go unnoticed in the context of relations with Russia:
