Baku’s “blacklist” alarming, Russian politician says

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian State Duma will demand freedom of movement for its members, MP Sergei Markov stated.

“Baku’s ‘blacklist’ is alarming. It means that Azerbaijan has assumed a tougher position on Karabakh issue. Baku wants to make politicians choose between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh on the one hand, and Azerbaijan on the other,” he said when commenting on Azerbaijan’s announcement of some RF State Duma members persona non grata

“Given it’s economic growth, Azerbaijan exerts stronger leverage in Karabakh process. Before, many Russian politicians could visit Nagorno Karabakh but no reaction followed. Presently, Russia avoids tensions to maintain strategic relations with Azerbaijan but the latter’s behavior arouses deep concerns,” Materik.ru quoted Markov as saying.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew up a ‘blacklist’ of foreign citizens, who observed the NKR parliamentary elections on May 23, 2010. All of them will be rejected entry visas to Azerbaijan. The list includes five Russian parliamentarians: Igor Chernyshenko, Kirill Cherkasov, Tatyana Volozhinskaya, Maxim Mishenko and Konstantin Zatulin, as well as international observer Galina Ratnikova, public and political activist Victor Sheynis and expert of the Foundation of Strategic Culture Andrey Areshev. French, German, Argentine and other countries citizens are also on the list.