Azerbaijani president meets head of Russia's Tatarstan region in Karabakh

MOSCOW

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met Saturday with the head of Russia's Tatarstan region Rustam Minnikhanov in Karabakh.

Minnikhanov was welcomed at Zengilan International Airport by Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbuloglu, and Zengilan officials.

Minnikhanov went to the village of Aghali, the first settlement unit established by Azerbaijan in regions liberated from Armenian occupation in the Second Karabakh War, and met with Aliyev.

Aliyev thanked Minnikhanov for investments made by Tatarstan in the regions.

Noting that the peoples of Tatarstan and Azerbaijan have been friendly and have had fraternal relations for centuries, Aliyev said the relations have also contributed to the strengthening of relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.

Minnikhanov said Azerbaijanis and Tatars are very close in terms of language and history.

"Today we visited the mosque, which is under construction. All this is very close to us, and all this brings us closer. Our first President Mintimer Shaymiyev, a close friend of Tatarstan, Heydar Aliyev, laid a solid foundation for our relations," said Minnikhanov.

Aliyev and Minnikhanov then moved to the province of Jabrayil and gave the start to the work of the Auto Leasing Azerbaijan company, which will provide maintenance services to agricultural machinery with trucks made with the joint capital of Tatarstan and Azerbaijan in the Industrial Park of the Araz Valley Economic Zone.