Baku, Moscow in negotiations over Russian House-ambassador says

Azerbaijan and Russia are maintaining an ongoing dialogue to resolve the situation surrounding the Russian House in Baku, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Rahman Mustafayev has told journalists.

Ambassador Mustafayev underscored that discussions are progressing in a constructive manner, following recent high-level engagements between the two sides, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“Just yesterday, the working visit by the representative of the Azerbaijani president for special assignments, Khalaf Khalafov, concluded. This issue was raised by the Russian side,” Mustafayev stated. “We have presented our position, namely, that all such initiatives and projects must be carried out in strict accordance with national legislation and in line with previously signed agreements between the parties.”

The ambassador highlighted that there is a relevant agreement in place governing cultural cooperation, including institutions such as the Russian House, which is a part of the Rossotrudnichestvo network aimed at promoting Russian culture and language abroad.

“So yes, there is a proposal and our response. But the most important thing is that the dialogue continues. This is very important,” Mustafayev added, in response to a question about Azerbaijan’s review of Moscow’s proposals on the issue.

Note that, the Russian cultural institution Russian House has announced the suspension of its operations in Azerbaijan, in response to a formal request by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to official sources, Baku had notified Moscow that the Russian Information and Cultural Center—operating under the auspices of Rossotrudnichestvo and commonly referred to as Russian House—was functioning without proper legal registration and had committed significant violations of Azerbaijani legislation. As a result, on February 3, the Azerbaijani government issued an official diplomatic note demanding the cessation of the organization's activities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan underscored that the presence and operation of foreign entities within the country must adhere strictly to national legal frameworks, the principle of reciprocity, and relevant bilateral agreements.

By Vafa Guliyeva