Azerbaijan Rebukes Russia Amid Rising Strains

(MENAFN) On Wednesday, Azerbaijan summoned the Russian ambassador to Baku as diplomatic tensions intensified between the two nations.

The development follows a raid in Yekaterinburg, Russia, late last month, during which two Azerbaijani citizens died while in detention. This incident has fueled growing discord between the countries.

According to a statement released by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov met with Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov.

During the meeting, Azimov firmly rejected Moscow's version of events, which was conveyed through a note verbale a day earlier.

Baku asserted that the Russian explanation conflicted with “obvious signs of violence” observed on the bodies of the deceased Azerbaijanis.

The ministry further stressed that “manifestations of ethnic intolerance were observed in the Russian media” in relation to the raids.

It particularly condemned the use of terms such as “ethnic criminal group” to describe Azerbaijanis, labeling such language as inappropriate and offensive.

The statement also reiterated Baku's demand for a “thorough and objective” inquiry into the incident, emphasizing that those responsible should be held accountable.

Azerbaijan dismissed Russia’s accusations of interference in its domestic matters as “unfounded.”

Furthermore, Azerbaijan rejected the Russian side's criticism regarding actions taken against the office of ‘Sputnik-Azerbaijan’, calling those remarks baseless.

It suggested that Moscow was misrepresenting Azerbaijan’s internal actions for political reasons.

In addition, Baku reproached Russia for allegedly mischaracterizing the circumstances surrounding the Azerbaijan Airlines crash in Kazakhstan in December, which claimed the lives of 38 out of 67 passengers.

Azerbaijan reaffirmed its call for a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the crash.

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