The offensive statements against Azerbaijan and our people made by Nikolai Valuev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and his threatening remarks against our country are absolutely unacceptable​.

Axar.az reports that this was stated by Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in response to a local media inquiry on anti-Azerbaijan statements of a Russian State Duma member and the measures to be taken in this regard.

"Due to the statements made by this deputy against Azerbaijan, his name has been added to the list of individuals banned from entering the Republic of Azerbaijan, and a ban has been imposed on his entry.

Overall, we would like to state that this is not the first case of members of the Russian State Duma being included in the list of 'persona non grata’. Previously, as an example, Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the CIS Affairs Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and Vitaly Milonov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Family Protection, who have acted against Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, were also included in the relevant list as 'persona non grata' in Azerbaijan.

We must regretfully note that all of these deputies who have acted against our country are members of Russia's ruling party, 'United Russia' (Yedinaya Rossiya).

Appropriate steps will continue to be taken within the framework of our country's legislation against individuals who act against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and people of Azerbaijan," he noted.