Russian Foreign Ministry Recommends Baku Not to Interfere in Russia�s Affairs

Baku / 19.05.17 / Turan: The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova spoke in defense of the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia on the liquidation of the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress (ARAC). Moreover, she called the criticism of this decision by the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan "inappropriate".

"We were perplexed at the statements made by the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry and published by a local agency about the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate the all-Russian public organization All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress because of numerous violations of the Federal legislation.

We paid attention to the statement of the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan regarding Russian domestic policy, where were words about the "balance of interethnic relations, the concept of reforms and prospects for intercultural dialogue" in our country," Zakharova said at a briefing on May 18.

She called "such statements inappropriate." "Evaluation of the Russian court's decision regarding a Russian public organization as an "unfriendly step" towards Azerbaijan looks strange. It's regrettable that the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan again uses the versions published in a number of media and voices them, especially publicly, about some "Armenian trace". We do not need any questionable advice on how to build interethnic relations in our own country," Zakharova said.

According to Zakharova, "Russia is a multiethnic democratic state, where everyone's rights are guaranteed and protected regardless of their nationality." "We have created all conditions for self-organization and full-fledged activity of cultural-national public associations. In particular, over 260 non-profit organizations represent the interests of Russian citizens of Azerbaijani nationality. At the federal level, the Azerbaijan Youth Association of Russia, the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of Russia, the Federal National and Cultural Autonomy of Azerbaijanis of Russia, and the World Azerbaijan Cultural Foundation work successfully," Zakharova emphasized.

At the same time, she added that "Russia values ​​the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, the course on all-round strengthening of which is determined by the heads of the two states." "We are convinced that the statements I have quoted (perhaps not fully thought out) will not prejudice Russian-Azerbaijani relations," Zakharova summed up. -06D-