Azernews.Az

The Norwegian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Jon Ramberg and US Charge D’affairs Donald Lieu were summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Friday over the recent statements made for the media following a visit to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on January 12-13, according to the ministry. The issue was discussed with Deputy Foreign Minister Vagif Sadigov.
The US and Norwegian embassies earlier expressed concern to the Azerbaijani government over the situation in the Bananyar village. In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the diplomatic missions said that, when the diplomats were trying to enter the village on Wednesday to familiarize themselves with the situation there, a group of people stopped their car and began threatening them, prompting them to leave the village.
"We call on the Azerbaijani government to handle the situation in Bananyar and ensure the safety of foreign diplomats," the statement said.
Deputy Minister Sadigov said the issue was being scrutinized. Baku noted that it was discontent with the conduct of the US and Norwegian diplomats during their visit to Nakhchivan, as their activity directly violates the norms of diplomatic conduct in their country of accreditation and the international convention On Diplomatic Ties adopted in Vienna in 1961.
"Some countries are trying to add a politicized coloring to the ongoing developments and present this as a violation of human rights, which is absolutely unacceptable," Sadigov said.
The two diplomats were warned that such activities of foreign diplomats could harm Azerbaijan’s close diplomatic ties with other countries. Baku also noted that it was fulfilling all the assumed commitments on international legal norms, and the safety of foreign diplomats is a priority for the Azerbaijani government.*