Polite — Zatulin on why Putin shook Aliyev's hand

The handshake of the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, is normal polite behavior, said Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots.

"I cannot imagine that during the international summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), after seeing Aliyev, Putin will cross to the other side of the street or, say, turn away and not shake hands. Of course, there is a protocol," Zatulin said.

Putin at the parade on the occasion of the end of World War II in Beijing shook hands with Aliyev, who has recently been distinguished by aggressive statements against Russia.

As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier, Putin and Aliyev did not have meetings on the sidelines of the SCO summit.