“Both Azerbaijan and Russia enjoy great economic potential, which enables increasing the mutual trade turnover. Both countries should utilize this potential,” said Alexei Overchuk, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, as he addressed the Azerbaijan–Russia Business Council meeting in Baku.

According to him, the Business Council aims to advance the economic relations dynamics.

The Russian Deputy PM noted that Azerbaijan’s transport infrastructure is ready for operation within the North-South International Transport Corridor: “This route provides access to markets in Türkiye, the Gulf countries, as well as South-East Asia. We are progressing on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway. Spanning 162 kilometers, this route will allow Russia and Azerbaijan to reach the Gulf countries,” Overchuk added.

He also highlighted the increase of tourist flow from Russia to Azerbaijan, noting that a total of 500,000 Russian nationals visited Baku last year.