The development of economic and regional ties is one of the priorities within the multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said at a weekly briefing in Moscow on April 28, Trend reports.

"In 2021, the bilateral mutual trade amounted to a record $3.4 billion, exceeding the level registered before the COVID-19 pandemic," Zakharova reminded. "Russia is one of Azerbaijan's leading trading partners. The total investment volumes are estimated at $6 billion."

"One of the foundations of trade and economic cooperation is the interaction of Russian regions with Azerbaijan. More than 70 regions of our country are actively cooperating with Azerbaijan," she noted. "The key platform for promoting this cooperation is the regular Russian-Azerbaijani interregional forums, the information about which is often given by us."

"All these issues were discussed in detail during the 20th-anniversary meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan, held on April 25-26 in Baku," the spokesperson said. "As part of this important event, the visit of the Governor of the Astrakhan region Igor Babushkin also took place."

According to Zakharova, during the visit of Babushkin, the prospects for further expansion of mutual trade between the Astrakhan region and Azerbaijan were considered.

Last year, the trade turnover between the region and Azerbaijan grew by 18 percent and amounted to $17 million, added Zakharova.

https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/business/3588657.html