"Wait and respect" — Peskov's response to Russophobia in Azerbaijan

It is important for Russia that Russians are respected in Azerbaijan, Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, answering a question from journalists about the prospects for relations with Azerbaijan amid the confrontation that has escalated between the countries.

Commenting on the words of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev about plans to file lawsuits in international courts in connection with the crash of the AZAL airline plane, Peskov said that if Baku makes such a decision, "it is their right."

"If Azerbaijan makes such a decision — in this case it is the right of Azerbaijan, we will expect official verdicts from all the proceedings and investigations that are underway," Peskov said when asked what Moscow's response will be.

Peskov also said that there is mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan, "based on mutual respect."

"There really is a solid foundation, there is a coincidence of interests of the two countries, there is mutually beneficial cooperation based on mutual respect… We believe that the cooperation between the two countries really brings mutual benefits," he said.

The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation hopes that the difficult period in relations between Moscow and Baku will pass.

"Sometimes it happens that difficult periods occur in relations between the two countries. Now is one of those periods. We hope that this period will pass," Peskov said.

EADaily reported that in Baku has two Russian journalists under arrest, as well as several other Russians on far-fetched charges. Representatives of the Azerbaijani leadership continue to take anti-Russian steps. In particular, on the eve of the Ukrainian journalist Elena Kurbanova handed over to the President of Azerbaijan a collection of sleeve chevrons of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces, and in response Aliyev asked her to "continue the same way."