Society Կարևոր

Azerbaijan Sends Protest Note to Russia Over Statements by Armenian Experts on First Channel

24.10.2022 15:07

The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Russian Federation has officially sent a protest note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation regarding the broadcast of the program "Big Game" on the First Channel on October 20 and 21.

According to the Azerbaijani diplomatic agency, during the broadcast, Russian political scientists and Armenian experts conducted overt anti-Azerbaijani attacks, undermining the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the geographical map displayed was distorted.

The note emphasizes that the guests of the talk show incited the revanchist forces of the Armenian society, resurrecting the conflict of the past, and openly supporting separatism, thereby sowing enmity between the two peoples.

The Embassy drew attention to the Ministry that the use of biased statements and the acceptance of obvious political provocations on state television contradicts not only the official position expressed multiple times by the President of the Russian Federation in support of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity but also disrupts the efforts aimed at ensuring long-term peace, stability, and security in the region.

It was noted that amidst the fragile peace conditions in the region, media representatives bear a special responsibility in preventing provocations that could lead to escalation and heightening of tensions.

It was also emphasized that Vyacheslav Nikonov, a member of the "United Russia" faction and First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, is the host of this talk show and directly participated in it. Such behavior by representatives of the ruling party in Russia contradicts the spirit of Azerbaijani-Russian allied cooperation and significantly harms bilateral relations.

The Azerbaijani side urged the Russian side to take urgent measures to curb the provocative actions of representatives of the Russian media and to prevent their recurrence in the future.