**ISTANBUL**
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Monday hosted a meeting with the head of Russia’s upper house of parliament in the capital Baku.
A statement by Russia’s Federation Council said the meeting was held as part of a delegation visit headed by its speaker Valentina Matviyenko.
During their “frank and lengthy” conversation, they discussed a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda, it said.
“The topics of expanding trade, economic and cultural cooperation were touched upon,” the statement added.
Matviyenko noted the constant contact between Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin, thanking them for their attention to interparliamentary and interregional cooperation.
Azerbaijan's Presidency later said in a statement that the meeting touched on interparliamentary relations, as well as cooperation in the political, economic, and humanitarian sectors and other areas.
Expressing her condolences over the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) plane crash in December, Matviyenko said Russian investigative bodies are investigating the issue and will give an objective assessment.
An AZAL flight traveling from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, on the Caspian Sea coast, on Dec. 25, 2024, killing 38 of the 67 passengers and crew members on board.
Matviyenko arrived in Baku on Sunday on an official visit, where she also held talks with Azerbaijani Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva.
The visiting speaker also held talks with Sahiba Gafarova, the speaker of Azerbaijan's National Assembly, after meeting with Aliyev.
[Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. **Please contact us for subscription options.**](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/p/subscription/1001)