No:204/26, Statement by Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to local media inquiry regarding the provocation against Azerbaijan aired on Russia’s state-owned Channel One
08 May 2026 13:40
Question: On 6 May, the “Vremya Pokazhet” (“Time Will Tell”) program aired by Russia’s state-owned Channel One displayed a distorted map of the Republic of Azerbaijan, featuring the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh” entity. How would you comment on this provocation?
Answer: The display of a distorted map of the Republic of Azerbaijan during the “Vremya Pokazhet” program aired on May 6 by Russian Federation’s state-owned Channel One, including the reference to the non-existent so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh,” constitutes a serious provocation and an unacceptable act of political manipulation.
The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan have been fully restored, and this reality is recognized by the international community, including the Russian Federation. Against the backdrop of repeated statements by the Russian side affirming respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and emphasizing that these issues are never subject to question, the dissemination of outdated, false, and separatism-promoting narratives on a Russian state television channel stands in stark contradiction to the spirit of Azerbaijan-Russia relations, as well as to the principles of mutual respect and good-neighborly relations.
Such irresponsible and biased conduct by a state-owned media outlet is unacceptable. We expect the Russian side to provide a clear explanation regarding this matter and to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
