On February 6, Mikhail Yevdokimov, Ambassador of Russia to Azerbaijan, was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, the Azerbaijani side expressed a strong protest over a statement made on February 5 by Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, and a member of the ruling United Russia Party, regarding the sentencing of citizens of Armenia in Azerbaijan. A corresponding note was handed to the Russian side.

The MFA strongly condemned Zatulin’s statements against Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, his open support for separatism, as well as his attempts to distort court decisions concerning the Armenian citizens convicted of crimes against peace and humanity, as well as war crimes committed as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, along with his use of inappropriate language.

The Russian side was urged to take appropriate measures to put an end to the destructive activities of individuals like Zatulin, whose actions undermine peace and stability in the region and damage relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.