Russia stresses importance of keeping friendly ties with Azerbaijan

(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized the importance of maintaining friendly bilateral ties between Russia and Azerbaijan amid recent tensions.

The strain escalated after Azerbaijani authorities detained two senior Russian journalists from Sputnik Azerbaijan on charges of “illegal financing,” which Sputnik denied as “absurd.” Moscow condemned these arrests as “hostile actions and unlawful detention.”

This diplomatic strain follows a police raid in Russia’s Yekaterinburg on an alleged ethnic Azerbaijani organized crime group, during which two elderly suspects died. Azerbaijani politicians accused Moscow of ethnic targeting, further fueling tensions.

Zakharova highlighted that Russia and Azerbaijan have long cultivated close relations based on mutual respect and shared interests, with strong cultural, familial, and economic ties rooted in their Soviet past.

She warned that attempts to disrupt this relationship—often driven by those seeking financial gain—could backfire on those instigating division.

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