Germany apologizes to Azerbaijan for Karabakh flag
Germany has officially apologized to Azerbaijan for President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's post. The letter states that the information was published as a result of a technical error and "does not have any significance within the framework of Germany's well-known position on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."
On March 31, Steinmeier, who is visiting Armenia, published a post on his official Instagram page with an image of the flag of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, used by "Armenian separatists."
"This is my first visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, and among the important issues to be discussed is the mission for long-term stability and peace in the South Caucasus, relations with the two countries to strengthen cooperation in the economy, science and culture. The conflict concerns the Nagorno-Karabakh region. According to international law, the region belongs to Azerbaijan. However, the majority of people living there are Armenians. In recent decades, armed conflicts have repeatedly occurred," the publication said.
The post later disappeared from the president's page.
Afterwards, the German ambassador was summoned to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. Baku assessed the post as contradicting Berlin's statements on support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the ongoing peace process.
