Russia Regrets Azerbaijan's Cultural Boycott
(MENAFN) Russia expressed regret on Monday over Azerbaijan’s choice to cancel scheduled cultural programs involving Russian organizations after a deadly police operation in Yekaterinburg resulted in the deaths of Azerbaijani nationals.
“We are interested in further developing our good relations with Azerbaijan,” emphasized spokesperson Dmitry Peskov during a press briefing with reporters.
Peskov clarified that a discussion between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev was not currently being planned.
He also noted that Moscow regretted Baku’s recent cancellation of cultural events featuring Russian governmental and private institutions.
“It is important to continue work to explain the reasons and nature of the events that, in the opinion of the Azerbaijani side, served as the reason for such demarches,” Peskov added.
On Sunday, Azerbaijan’s Culture Ministry revealed the cancellation of the cultural initiatives, explaining the decision as a reaction to what it described as “targeted and extrajudicial killings and acts of violence against Azerbaijanis based on their ethnicity.”
Earlier, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry had summoned Moscow’s charge d’affaires to formally protest the actions of Russian law enforcement agents. These operations reportedly led to the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens.
The official statement also mentioned that several other individuals were seriously harmed and nine people had been detained.
The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan demanded a full investigation and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable “as soon as possible.”
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