German ambassador offers oral apology for president’s controversial post Azerbaijan insists on public apology

The German Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ralf Horlemann has offered an oral apology for the controversial post featuring the "flag" of a former separatist regime on the official Instagram account of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

The publication, which occurred during Steinmeier's visit to Armenia, had caused a diplomatic stir, with Azerbaijan condemning the act as a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

According to diplomatic sources, the apology was delivered during a meeting at the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, Azerbaijan is insisting that a formal public apology is necessary to resolve the matter.

Interestingly, the German side has yet to issue an official apology. If this was indeed a technical error and not a public provocation, why has Germany refrained from offering an apology? If no apology is issued in connection with this publication, the feasibility of the upcoming visit of the German president to Azerbaijan is called into question.

By Vugar Khalilov