Baku outraged over Russian TV channel’s display of Artsakh map: Foreign Ministry demands an explanation

Baku has expressed outrage over the display of a map of Artsakh by Russian television channels. Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has lodged complaints with the Russian side over the use of the term “Nagorno-Karabakh” and the display of the map, Azerbaijani media report.

“The display of a distorted map of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the program ‘Vremya Pokazhet’ on the Russian state-owned First Channel on May 6th, as well as the use on the map of the non-existent term ‘Nagorno-Karabakh,’ constitute a serious provocation and an inadmissible act of political manipulation,” said Aykhan Hajizadeh, spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

According to him, “the circulation on the state television of the Russian Federation of outdated, false, and separatism-promoting narratives, despite the Russian side’s declarations that respect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty has never been called into question, openly contradicts the spirit of Azerbaijani-Russian relations, mutual respect, and good neighborliness.”

“The irresponsible and biased approach of state media is inadmissible. We expect clear explanations from the Russian side on this matter, as well as the taking of necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” he stated.