Azerbaijan has refused to participate in the upcoming session of the CIS Economic Council in Moscow.

Axar.az informs that the information was reported to Trеnd by a reliable source.

It is noted that Azerbaijan is typically represented at CIS meetings by First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub Eyyubov.

“Yaqub Eyyubov will not attend the event. The reason for the refusal is the recent incidents in Yekaterinburg, including the killing of Azerbaijani citizens and the lack of necessary action from the Russian side to address the issues, including the downing of an AZAL aircraft,” the source stated.

On the morning of June 27, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) conducted raids on homes of Azerbaijanis in the city of Yekaterinburg. During the operations, two Azerbaijani brothers, Ziyyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed, and several others were detained.

Commenting on the issue, a representative of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the deliberate and extrajudicial killing and violence against Azerbaijanis by Russian law enforcement based on ethnic identity has caused justified outrage and condemnation in Azerbaijan.

As for the incident involving the downing of the aircraft belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), Azerbaijan expects Russia to conduct a full and transparent investigation, identify and punish those responsible, and compensate the victims.

In a previous statement, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that the failure to take necessary steps, attempts to distort the truth of the incident, and the misinformation campaign launched by Russian officials and media against Azerbaijan following the downing of the AZAL plane are unacceptable.

The Ministry stressed that a full and transparent investigation, accountability for the perpetrators, and compensation for victims are crucial steps to easing the current strain in bilateral relations.