Kremlin is set to hold talks with Baku regarding the closure of the Russian House

The Kremlin considers the termination of the Russian House in Baku as “a misunderstanding” and does not rule out raising this issue even at talks of Russian and Azerbaijani leaders

"We regret to hear it. We believe that it is a misunderstanding that can be resolved through bilateral contacts," – said Russian President’s spokesperson to reporters on Friday.

He noted that Moscow intends to “address this issue through dialogue, guided by the traditionally strong relations with Baku.”

Azerbaijan has suspended the activities of “Rossotrudnichestvo”, a Russian agency with main mission to “strengthen Russia’s humanitarian influence in the world” via its representative offices called “Russian House” in over 70 countries. 

Local media have linked the decision to terminate the "Rossotrudnichestvo" agency in Baku to accusations of alleged involvement in anti-Azerbaijani espionage activities, disguised under the guise of cultural and humanitarian work.

Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that a note verbale was sent to the Russian side on February 3, 2025, terminating the activities of “Russian House.”

“The Russian Information and Cultural Center – “Russian House,” the representative office of “Rossotrudnichestvo” in Azerbaijan, did not have registration as a legal entity, and the organization has been seriously violating Azerbaijani legislation,” – he said. “The activities of such organizations in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan are regulated in accordance with national legislation, the principle of reciprocity between countries, and the requirements of agreements reached on a bilateral basis.”

Baku expects that Moscow will "take appropriate measures in this direction" following Azerbaijan's decision to terminate the activities of the "Russian House" in the country.

Russian cultural agency’s head, Yevgeny Primakov said in his interview to a Russian state TV that they had applied to Azerbaijan’s authorities for registration of a Russian information and cultural center in Baku, but their requests remained unanswered.

"The point is that the Russian embassy in the Republic of Azerbaijan, our representative office, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly reached out to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the years, requesting assistance with registration. We were always ready to cooperate, but our calls remained unanswered," – Primakov said.

He recalled a previous escalation on the issue in 2017, when Baku demanded the agency's "immediate" registration, but after bilateral consultations, Azerbaijan’s authorities “accepted” situation as it is.  

“We [“Rossotrudnichestvo”] are a federal executive body, and the Russian Information and Cultural Center is a Russian organization, so there is no regulatory mechanism in the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to register the center as a local legal entity. Azerbaijan’s foreign affairs and justice ministries accepted it,” – Primakov added.

Meanwhile, the center must vacate its premises within six weeks, as the property owner has decided to sell the building.

The Kremlin intends to address the issue at every possible level of Azerbaijan-Russia communication, including during talks between the two leaders.

"We will definitely raise this issue with our colleagues at all levels, even at the highest level. We do not rule out that this issue could be discussed during a dialogue between the two heads of state," the Kremlin spokesperson said.

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