Azerbaijan, Russia agree on 'appropriate settlement of consequences' from 2024 AZAL plane crash

Azerbaijan and Russia on Wednesday 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 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 defense system in Russian airspace.

It further said that they express confidence that the progressive development of bilateral relations will continue to help bolster good neighborly 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 airplane crash and share the pain of this irreparable loss with all those affected by the tragedy,” said the statement.