Azerbaijan MFA: Russian MFA stance is inconceivable

Baku, July 7, AZERTAC Repeated expression of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s attitude towards the issue of the entry of the country’s citizens of Armenian origin into Azerbaijan in the form that is beyond diplomatic ethics is very strange and incomprehensible, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Russia’s hostile attitude does not in any case suit the relations of strategic nature between the countries, the Foreign Ministry noted. "This issue has never been on the agenda for the last 25 years, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. In this case, it is hard to explain the excessive activity of the Russian side with regard to this matter. In accordance with the regime of beforehand notification and warning, the Azerbaijani side has created conditions for the entry of Russian citizens of Armenian origin into the territory of Azerbaijan. Hundreds of citizens of Russia and other countries of Armenian origin have so far been allowed to enter the territory of Azerbaijan after beforehand notification. In accordance with international and national law, Azerbaijan, which is a peaceful, multicultural land for the coexistence of peoples of various ethnicities, decides on its own as to allowing or disallowing foreign nationals’ entry into the country,” the statement said. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated that Russia, as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair country, does know that 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory is under occupation as a result of Armenian invasion and aggression and an act of ethnic cleansing was carried out against Azerbaijanis in the occupied territories. “More than a million of Azerbaijanis still are refugees and IDPs. We would like to mention the Khojaly tragedy, which was carried out by Armenian forces against the town’s population with the involvement of some foreign citizens of Armenian origin,” said the ministry. The statement stressed that the death of a woman and her 2-year-old granddaughter as a result of the Armenian armed attacks and provocations against Azerbaijani people on July 4th current year is yet another piece of evidence that Armenia tends to commit this type of terrorist acts against Azerbaijani civilians. According to the statement, such an attention to the issue from the Russian side at such a critical time raises serious questions. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry stated that it is absolutely inconceivable of the Russian side paying such an attention to the issue while no other country has raised this issue. Unfortunately, the Russian side remains indifferent to the fate of Dilgam Asgarov, a Russian citizen of Azerbaijani origin who was taken hostage while going on a visit to the graves of his parents, the statement said. The statement further said: “The Russian Federation is a co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group, and we expect that this country, due to its responsibility, will make more efforts for an early settlement of the conflict and the Armenian troops will be withdrawn from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. As a result, there will be sustainable peace and stability in the region. That’s when conditions will have been created for free entry and exit of people. This position of the Azerbaijani side has been repeatedly brought to the attention of the Russian Foreign Ministry in an appropriate manner.”