Cessation of Sputnik Broadcast in Artsakh Linked to Pashinyan's Statement, Says Kiselev

The cessation of the Moscow broadcast of Sputnik radio in Artsakh is related to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement that Yerevan is ready to recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and formalize Armenia's borders as of 1991. This was stated by Dmitry Kiselev, the general director of the "Rossiya Segodnya" media group, in response to a letter from Konstantin Zatulin, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma's Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots.

Zatulin had previously published a letter referencing data from another radio station, "City-FM" (on whose frequency Sputnik broadcasts in Artsakh), urging the "Rossiya Segodnya" media group to reconsider its decision to stop broadcasting in the region.

Kiselev clarified that the matter is not about a suspension, as Zatulin asserts, but about a complete cessation of radio broadcasting, based on the new stance of the Armenian leadership. He stated, "Some time ago, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that to achieve peace, Yerevan is ready to recognize Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and formalize Armenia's borders as of 1991. We proceed from the fact of this statement and believe that continuing our broadcasts in Artsakh without the approval of Azerbaijan's regulatory bodies raises doubts about the sincerity of relations from Moscow and is fraught with complicating interstate relations between our countries," as noted in Kiselev's letter to Zatulin.

He emphasized that it is necessary to obtain official permission from Baku to continue broadcasting. "If we receive permission that adheres to all legal norms for continuing radio broadcasting from official Baku, we are ready to extend our broadcasts in the region. Parliamentary diplomacy can play an important role here," Kiselev stated.

The media group's general director highlighted that Russia maintains traditional partnerships with both Azerbaijan and Armenia, making persistent efforts to establish peace in the region.