Azerbaijan fights back against Politico’s baseless and damaging claims Presidential aide responds to false reporting

Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, issued a strong response to an article published by Politico that he described as anti-Azerbaijani.

Hajiyev addressed the issue on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where he criticized the article titled "Europe's Azerbaijan Gas Gambit is Good News for Russia" as a vile example of disinformation, Caliber.Az reports.

Hajiyev stated, "It lacks professional fact checking and [is] complete with gossips and rumors. The decline of European journalism and media standards to such a low level is, to put it mildly, shameful."

He highlighted the European Union's commitment to combating media disinformation but questioned the reaction when European media outlets themselves propagate false information: "European Union treats global media disinformation with particular sensitivity and concerns. It is understandable! But what are the reactions when European media outlets are engaged in spreading fake news and lies about others?"

To refute the claims made in the article, Hajiyev provided a straightforward counterargument:

"One single fact completely disproves this article: in 2024, Azerbaijan has not imported any gas from Russia. Period! Azerbaijan’s gas production is carried out in cooperation with international partners. The production and export volumes are clearly visible to everyone."

Hajiyev emphasized Azerbaijan's dedication to contributing to the energy security of its international partners through its resources and contractual commitments: "Azerbaijan will continue to contribute to the energy security of its partners based on its existing resources and agreed contracts."

In conclusion, he demanded accountability from Politico: "We demand that Politico issue an apology and retract this false article!"

By Tamilla Hasanova