On Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry called on Azerbaijan to return bilateral relations to the level of "strategic cooperation", warning that certain elements were attempting to undermine the long-standing partnership between the two nations.
Tensions between Moscow and Baku flared last week following the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijanis during police operations in Russia. The situation escalated when Azerbaijani authorities detained two Russian state journalists and approximately 15 other Russian nationals on charges related to drug trafficking and cybercrime.
Azerbaijan has claimed that post-mortem examinations conducted in Baku indicate the two men who died in Russia were fatally beaten, contradicting Moscow's assertion that one of them died from heart complications. Baku has since launched its own investigation into the incident.
Relations have already been fragile since the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner late last year, which killed 38 people en route from Baku to southern Russia. Azerbaijan maintains the aircraft was struck by stray fire from Russian air defence units. Nemat Avazov, the Azerbaijani official leading the investigation, said a detailed report on the crash will be released soon.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova remarked that Moscow had spent years building its relationship with Baku on the foundation of mutual respect. She warned that some individuals or groups appeared to be exploiting the current tensions for personal or political gain.
"Just make sure they don’t get burned", she told Sputnik Radio, using a Russian idiom to suggest that those seeking to benefit from the situation may ultimately face consequences. "For our two nations, friendly ties are crucial. Those trying to damage them should think twice".
In a later press briefing, Zakharova urged Baku to allow consular access to the detained Russian citizens and to take concrete steps to return relations to the level defined by official agreements- that of strategic partnership.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, stated it is working diplomatically to secure the release of the detained Russian journalists, who face charges including fraud and remain in pre-trial detention.
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