Russia and Azerbaijan fully normalize bilateral relations

Russia and Azerbaijan announced the complete normalization of their bilateral relations after a period of disruption. The declaration was made on 17 July in Moscow during a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. Both ministers said the two countries would work to narrow the gaps that had emerged and highlighted regular high‑level dialogue.

The talks also covered economic cooperation, with the ministries expecting the two‑way trade turnover to approach $5 billion this year and noting that Russian direct investment in Azerbaijan is estimated at about $10.7 billion, represented by more than 1,400 Russian‑owned enterprises. They discussed restoring direct air links that were suspended after a December 2024 incident involving an Azerbaijani Airlines flight.

Both sides stressed the importance of their partnership for stability in the South Caucasus and the Caspian Sea region, citing recent Russian appreciation of Azerbaijan’s assistance in evacuating Russian citizens from Iran and facilitating humanitarian aid through Azerbaijani territory.