Yerevan /Mediamax/. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Aykhan Hajizada has accused Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky of distorting facts.

Hajizada made the comment after Medinsky’s interview with Russia Today TV channel on June 9.

“It is surprising that Medinsky, who serves as an Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, and is also the chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission on Historical Education of Russia, does not know that Karabakh has never been a disputed territory. We would like to remind that Karabakh is an ancient and integral part of Azerbaijan. Russia itself has recognized and continues to recognize Karabakh as part of the territory of Azerbaijan. It is troubling that the Assistant to the President of the country that co-chaired the Minsk Group either does not realize or does not want to realize the position of his state on this issue.

Unfortunately, the Russian presidential aide compares the Russian-Ukrainian war with the situation in Karabakh. Such a comparison is inappropriate, as Azerbaijan has never violated the territorial integrity of any country or waged a war of aggression against any state. In 2020 and 2023 Azerbaijan conducted the Patriotic War and anti-terrorist activities on its sovereign and internationally recognized territory. The 44-day Patriotic War and anti-terrorist activities of 2023, which lasted less than a day, resulted in Azerbaijan’s complete victory and Armenia’s defeat, ending the Armenian occupation in line with the norms and principles of international law.

We recommend Medinsky refrain from damaging interstate relations with such inaccurate statements on issues beyond his authority,” Hajizada said as quoted by AzerTac news agency.

In his June 9 appearance on the RT program The Sanchez Effect, Vladimir Medinsky said:

“But if you stop the conflict along the front line and don’t agree on a real peace – just conclude some kind of truce, ceasefire, whatever – then it will be… You know, there was such a disputed region between Armenia and Azerbaijan - Karabakh?”