AZE.US
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s July 28 phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev should not be viewed as a routine diplomatic exchange, according to Azerbaijani political analyst Farhad Mammadov, who pointed to the strained bilateral atmosphere, regional developments and the war in Ukraine.
The call was initiated by the Russian side, according to the Azerbaijani president’s press service.
The two leaders discussed current issues on the bilateral and international agenda and described Azerbaijan-Russia relations as constructive. They also noted that active dialogue was continuing between the two governments and relevant state institutions and reaffirmed their mutual interest in expanding cooperation.
Mammadov said the timing and format of the call were important.
Since the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft, any direct contact between the Azerbaijani and Russian presidents has carried added political weight, he argued, because such conversations are likely to involve sensitive and unresolved issues in bilateral relations.
The analyst also emphasized that Putin initiated the call.
Mammadov linked that detail to what he described as a renewed wave of anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric in parts of Russia’s political and media space, including state television talk shows and pro-war bloggers.
He said the conversation between the presidents could have a restraining effect on those circles.
“The phone call by the Russian president should have a sobering effect on this agitated community,” Mammadov said.
Regional Context
Mammadov also examined the call in the context of Putin’s earlier conversation with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
In his assessment, the conversation with Pashinyan highlighted problems in Russia-Armenia relations, while the subsequent call to Aliyev emphasized the continuation of cooperation between Moscow and Baku.
“Russia is punishing Armenia for the choice it has made, but not through Azerbaijan,” Mammadov said.
That assessment represents the analyst’s interpretation and has not been confirmed by Russian officials.
The War in Ukraine
Mammadov also connected the call to the broader debate over the war in Ukraine.
He noted that in recent weeks Putin had heard calls for an end to the war from the leaders of two neighboring former Soviet states – Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
After meeting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in person, Putin called Aliyev, Mammadov said.
The analyst also referred to a recent meeting in Baku involving former Russian and German politicians, which had previously been mentioned by the Azerbaijani president.
Mammadov did not provide further details on how that meeting may have related to the Putin-Aliyev conversation.
AZE.US