Azerbaijan and Russia have announced an agreement between the two countries on an “appropriate settlement of the consequences” from the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flight in Kazakhstan.
A joint statement released by the foreign ministries of both countries said on Wednesday that the agreement, which includes a payment of compensation, was taken in line with an understanding reached by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in the Tajik capital Dushanbe last October.
“The steps undertaken confirm the mutual intention to build further mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of allied interaction,” the statement said, noting that the crash resulted from the unintended operation of an air defence system in Russian airspace.
It further said that they express confidence that the progressive development of bilateral relations will continue to help bolster good neighbourly ties and expand cooperation in the interests of both countries’ peoples.
“We once again extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the aeroplane crash and share the pain of this irreparable loss with all those affected by the tragedy,” said the statement.
On December 25, 2024, an AZAL flight travelling from Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, to Grozny, Russia, crashed 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) from the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, on the Caspian Sea coast, killing 38 of the 67 passengers and crew members onboard.
Putin spoke on the phone with Aliyev three days after the crash, offering condolences and apologising for the part of the incident having taken place in Russian airspace.
A day later, in an interview with state TV channel AzTV, Aliyev accused Russia of unintentionally shooting down the plane, urging Moscow to accept responsibility, punish those responsible, and provide compensation.
During their meeting in Dushanbe last October, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Putin pledged to do everything necessary to provide compensation.
