On July 13 local time, the fourth Shusha Global Media Forum began in Azerbaijan. According to Russian TASS news agency reports, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced during the opening ceremony that the "challenging period" in Azerbaijan's relations with Russia has completely passed, and expressed optimism about the future of these bilateral relations.
It is worth noting that those difficult times, those challenging periods, have passed. I can say with confidence that our relations have fully normalized. Aliyev pointed out that the two countries maintain continuous communication at various levels, including between government officials, joint chairpersons of intergovernmental committees, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Presidential Office.
"In this regard, I believe everything is progressing smoothly, and we are satisfied with the current situation," said the Azerbaijani leader.
Aliev also emphasized the importance of Azerbaijani-Azerbaijan relations at the bilateral level and within a broader regional context. “These relations cover both traditional areas of cooperation as well as emerging fields. Among them, cooperation in transportation, trade, and humanities is particularly crucial,” he added.
On July 13th, Azerbaijani President Aliyev attended the opening ceremony of the Fourth Shusha Global Media Forum. Azerbaijani media.
It is noteworthy that since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, relations between Azerbaijan and Russia have undergone significant turmoil.
On December 25, 2024, a passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines, flying from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Russia, crashed near the western city of Aktobe in Kazakhstan. There were 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board. The accident resulted in the death of 35 passengers and 3 crew members.
Afterwards, Russian President Putin apologized to Azerbaijani President Aliyev during a phone call, stating that the crashed plane had suffered ‘physical and technical interference’ within Russian airspace. Aliyev emphasized that the crashed plane was shot down by Russia ‘unintentionally’, but Russia attempted to cover up the issue. He demanded that Russia apologize, admit its mistake, severely punish the responsible parties, and bear the consequences.
Since then, relations between Azerbaijan and Russia have significantly cooled down.
After the two countries 'tore apart their relations', at the third Shusha Global Media Forum last year, Aliyev specifically answered a question regarding the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
The Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon said that Ukrainians witnessed Aliev leading Azerbaijan in "recapturing its own territory," and expressed gratitude for his repeated public support of Ukraine's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Subsequently, Gordon hoped that Aliev, as the leader of the "victorious nation," would offer some advice to Ukraine and its people.
Regarding this, Aliev said that he had answered a similar question during a previous event, and his current response is no different. "I believe this also aligns with the wishes of the Ukrainian people—never to accept territorial occupation. This is the most important advice. We do just that, or more precisely, we view this process in that way."
On April 16 this year, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a joint statement that, according to an agreement reached by the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia during their meeting in Dushanbe on October 9, 2025, both sides agreed to properly address the aftermath of the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crash, including matters related to compensation.
Both countries agree that this incident was caused by an air defense system within the territory of the Russian Federation. The statement states that the measures taken confirm both countries' desire to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation based on their alliance relationship.
The statement reads that, based on mutual respect, trust, and consideration of both parties' interests, the continued development of Russia-Azerbaijan relations will further promote friendly relations among neighbors and expand cooperation, thereby benefiting the people of both countries.
The statement also once again expresses the deepest sympathy to the relatives and friends of the victims of the accident.
