Azerbaijan rebukes Russian presidential aide for "distorted" comments on Karabakh

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a strong response to recent comments made by Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, concerning the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

In an official statement, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada condemned Medinsky’s characterisation of the Karabakh region as a "disputed territory" and rejected comparisons he drew between the situation in Karabakh and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports.

"The remarks made by Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, during an interview with Russia Today on 9 June, when he distorted facts regarding the former Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and presented the Karabakh region as a disputed territory, are both regrettable and surprising," Hajizada stated.

Criticising the historical inaccuracy of Medinsky’s claims, Hajizada pointed out the contradiction in the statements made by an official of a country that has recognised Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, including the Karabakh region.

"Surprisingly, as an assistant to the President of the Russian Federation and also the Chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Historical Education of Russia, Medinsky is unaware that Karabakh has never been a disputed territory. We would like to remind that Karabakh is an ancient and integral part of Azerbaijan. Russia itself has recognized and continues to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan’s territory," the statement read.

Hajizada also noted the significance of Medinsky’s official role and highlighted concerns about his apparent misunderstanding of Russia’s official stance as a former co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

"The concerning issue is that the Assistant to the President of a country that was a co-chair of the Minsk Group either does not understand or does not wish to understand his country’s position on this matter," he said.

The Azerbaijani side further objected to Medinsky’s comparison of the Karabakh conflict to the Russia-Ukraine war, calling it "inappropriate."

"Regrettably, the Assistant to the Russian President compares the Russia-Ukraine war to the situation that existed in Karabakh. Such a comparison is inappropriate, as Azerbaijan has never violated the territorial integrity of any country or waged an aggressive war against any state. In 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan conducted the Patriotic War and anti-terrorist measures within its sovereign and internationally recognized territories. The 44-day Patriotic War and the anti-terrorist measures of 2023, which lasted less than a day, resulted in Azerbaijan’s complete victory and Armenia’s defeat, putting an end to Armenia’s occupation in accordance with the norms and principles of international law," Hajizada stated.

Concluding his remarks, Hajizada urged Medinsky to avoid making statements outside his purview and warned against harming bilateral relations.

"We recommend Mr. Medinsky to refrain from damaging interstate relations while making such erroneous claims on matters beyond his authority," the spokesperson added.

By Vugar Khalilov