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Akbar Novruz

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Attempts to equate insurance payments with compensation demanded by Azerbaijan from the Russian government are incorrect, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated, Azernews reports.

Aykhan Hajizadeh, head of the Press Service Department of the Foreign Ministry, made the remarks in response to the September 4 press release of the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding insurance payments for the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash and the subsequent comments of its press secretary on Azerbaijani-Russian relations.

“In addition, it is wrong for the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to present the arrest of 13 Russian citizens in Azerbaijan in July of this year as the reason for the deterioration of Azerbaijani-Russian relations and to put forward their release as a condition for improving relations,” Hajizadeh noted.

He underlined that the core reason for strained ties was the crash of the AZAL plane after being shot down, as well as the subsequent stance of Russian officials. “The persecution of Azerbaijanis in Russia due to ethnic affiliation, the beating and killing of Azerbaijanis in the city of Yekaterinburg have created additional tension in relations. In addition, the activities of various Russian state bodies against Azerbaijan are among the factors that negatively affect relations,” the Foreign Ministry official added.