For more than two hundred years Russia has been the key foreign actor in the South Caucasus, whose actions and policies influenced (if not shaped) the region the most. Accordingly, Moscow is one of the most important neighbors of Azerbaijan, a major economic and trade partner, and a key mediator in Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Relations between the two countries has experienced many ups and downs since Azerbaijan restored its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but they have been particularly conflict-free and cooperative during the last decade and a half. Caucasus International discussed the past, current status, and future of the Azerbaijan-Russia relations with Professor Stanislav Chernyavskiy, Director of the Center for Post-Soviet Studies at the MGIMO University in Russia. The colloquy sheds light on the dynamics of bilateral cooperation in various spheres such as economics, politics, and security. Before joining academy, Professor Chernyavskiy was a carrier diplomat who served at the USSR embassies in Canada, Belgium, Algeria, Azerbaijan, and the USSR (later Russia) Representation at the United Nations in Geneva. He has authored more than 40 scholarly publications, including the monographs on Azerbaijan such as ‘Azerbaijan’s New Way’ (2002), ‘The Azerbaijan Republic’s Foreign Policy (1988-2003)’ (2003) and ‘Azerbaijan: Choosing the Policy Course’ (2004).