Baku: The Azerbaijan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed strong disapproval over the display of a distorted map of Azerbaijan during a program aired on Russia’s state-owned Channel One. The program, ‘Vremya Pokazhet’, broadcasted the map on May 6, referring to the non-existent ‘Nagorno-Karabakh’, which the Azerbaijani government considers a serious provocation and an unacceptable act of political manipulation.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Aykhan Hajizada, the spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to a local media inquiry about the incident. Hajizada emphasized that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan have been fully restored and are recognized by the international community, including the Russian Federation.
Hajizada highlighted that the repeated affirmations by the Russian side of respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity make the dissemination of outdated, false, and separatism-promoting narratives on a Russian state television channel contradictory to the spirit of Azerbaijan-Russia relations. This act, he noted, undermines the principles of mutual respect and good-neighborly relations.
The spokesperson condemned the irresponsible and biased conduct by a state-owned media outlet and stated that Azerbaijan expects a clear explanation from the Russian side. Furthermore, Azerbaijan urges Russia to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency