Azerbaijan has halted activities of “Russian House” in Baku according to local media reports on Thursday, following accusations of espionage. This is being described as an escalation of tensions between the two countries.
According to reports, Baku has sent a diplomatic note to Moscow “officially informing about the termination of Rossotrudnichestvo agency's activities in Azerbaijan”.
Rossotrudnichestvo declares itself as “a leading Russian agency whose main mission is to strengthen Russia’s humanitarian influence in the world.” The organization also has offices called “Russian House” in up to 71 countries worldwide.
Commenting on the closure of “Russian House”, an undisclosed source said to media that “Azerbaijan doesn’t need any external assistance, especially when it is provided based on non-transparent schemes, and organization’s structure has clearly espionage nature."
Earlier in January, a privately owned Azerbaijani television channel, Baku TV aired a report accusing the Russian House in Baku of engaging in anti-Azerbaijani espionage activities under the announced cultural and humanitarian work. The report which alleged that the Russian cultural center was acting as an intelligence hub, particularly stated: “Unfortunately, this is no longer the ‘Russian House’ but a house of Russian espionage.”
On January 27, Azerbaijani Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev was summoned to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Russian side emphasized the unconditional importance of building relations between Russia and Azerbaijan in the spirit of strategic partnership and alliance, based on the Declaration signed at the highest level on February 22, 2022, in the national interests of both states.
In this regard, concern was expressed over a series of recent anti-Russian publications in Azerbaijani media, as well as the disinformation campaign against the ‘Russian House’ in Baku. The baseless nature of these accusations was underscored,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
An online magazine Intelligence Online called Rossotrudnichestvo a “Russian soft power agency” that is “a highly versatile tool in Russia's public relations armoury that has close links with the intelligence services.”
The agency’s head, Yevgeny Primakov, is a grandson of Yevgeny Primakov, former Russian Foreign Minister and Prime Minister, who was “a Soviet and Russian spy and politician,” according to Wikipedia.
Pakistan is turning to more U.S. crude as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz exposes the risks of its heavy reliance on Gulf energy supplies....
Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony after being convicted of criticising Rus...
Britain will continue to support Ukraine “100 per cent” against Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Tuesday, a...
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Monday it was reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on scaling back joint military drills. It added that it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks.
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Azerbaijan has summoned Russia’s ambassador in Baku over recent Russian media comments it described as insulting, provocative and threatening towards the country, its people and leadership.
Israel and the United States have agreed to establish two working groups on Gaza’s future as Washington pushes to turn a fragile ceasefire into a broader political and security arrangement.
Uzbekistan is putting renewable energy, water security, waste management and climate-resilient cities at the centre of its growth strategy as it seeks to modernise infrastructure and attract green investment.
A power disturbance that swept across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on 14 August has highlighted both the benefits and vulnerabilities of Central Asia’s interconnected electricity grid.
Iran says it will use all diplomatic and legal channels to determine the fate of three Air Force pilots it believes are being held in Qatar after their fighter jets were downed during the March war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment