All issues between Azerbaijan and Russia should be resolved using existing political and diplomatic channels, says Russia’s Foreign Ministry

Russia is maintaining contact with Azerbaijan through law enforcement agencies regarding the situation involving detained Russian journalists in the republic, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.

“We are convinced that all emerging issues should be addressed in a partnership manner, using existing political and diplomatic channels. This is the approach that truly serves the fundamental interests of our peoples,” Zakharova said.

On June 30, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan announced that law enforcement agencies conducted an operation at the office of the news agency Sputnik Azerbaijan. Later, the ministry reported the detention of several individuals at the agency’s office, including Sputnik Azerbaijan head Igor Kartavikh and chief editor Yevgeny Belousov.

The editorial board of Sputnik stated that they had not received any official restrictions on working in Azerbaijan, and that negotiations are ongoing at the working group level to resolve any disagreements.

On July 1, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Rahman Mustafayev was summoned to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a verbal note was handed to him demanding the immediate release of the detained Russian journalists in Baku.