Aliyev Misses CIS Summit as Tensions with Moscow Simmer

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev decided not to participate in an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) held in St. Petersburg on Monday, citing a «busy work schedule,» according to Azerbaijani state media.

The CIS, a regional organization established after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, comprises nine member nations.

During the summit, President Vladimir Putin hosted leaders from seven other member states at the Hermitage Museum, where they assessed cooperation for 2025 and discussed future plans.

A statement from Azerbaijan’s presidential office noted that the nation «regularly» engages in CIS meetings and «appreciates collaboration within the CIS framework,» even with Aliyev’s absence at this particular event.

Tensions flared between Moscow and Baku in December 2024 when a passenger plane from Azerbaijan Airlines, bound for Chechnya, was mistakenly targeted by Russian air defense systems and subsequently crashed in western Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of 38 out of 62 individuals onboard.

Initially, the Kremlin attempted to shift blame for the tragedy, causing anger in Baku.

However, relations seemed to take a turn for the better in October, when Putin publicly acknowledged for the first time that it was Russian air defense missiles responsible for the aircraft’s downing.