Increasing the number of direct flights between Astrakhan and Baku will help strengthen the economic ties between the Russian region and Azerbaijan.

Axar.az reports that this was stated by the Governor of Russia’s Astrakhan region, Igor Babushkin, on his Telegram channel.

"Our business centers are actively contributing to the increase in tourist flow. Additionally, representatives from the Republic of Azerbaijan participate in all international projects in our region. I proposed to increase the number of direct flights between Baku and Astrakhan to five times a week," Babushkin, who was recently received by President Ilham Aliyev, said.

The governor expressed his gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and noted that strategic issues were discussed during the meeting.

"We also discussed the important issue of the Caspian Sea's shallowing. On the instructions of the President, experts from Astrakhan analyzed the reasons for the decline in sea levels. The Azerbaijani side is also working in this direction. A bilateral working group has been established, and its first meeting took place in Baku on Monday.

Azerbaijan is our most important partner in the Caspian. I am grateful to President Ilham Aliyev for the opportunity for the next meeting and for his attention to the development of our multifaceted cooperation. We received support on all the issues discussed," he added.

He also emphasized that during the conversation, the first results of the comprehensive program for the development of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the Astrakhan region, which started in May of this year, were discussed.