The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry is awaiting an official explanation from the Russian side following a statement made by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova at a recent briefing.

According to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ayhan Hajizade, when answering a question about Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements regarding the clergy, the Russian diplomat, he said, mentioned the name of Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev without reference to the topic. Baku considered such a reference unacceptable.

"Mentioning the name of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in such a context is a sign of disrespect for his legacy and the Azerbaijani people. Such statements do not meet the standards expected of an official representative. Diplomacy requires discipline, precision, and responsibility, not unfounded statements that could increase tensions and undermine trust. We await clarification from the Russian side regarding this statement," Hajizade stated.

The Azerbaijani side emphasizes that such statements could negatively impact the level of trust in diplomatic relations and calls for more balanced rhetoric.