VLADIVOSTOK — September 4, 2025.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the release of Russian citizens detained in Azerbaijan would be an “important step” toward repairing relations between Moscow and Baku, speaking at a briefing on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.
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Zakharova noted that the issue was raised at the Aug. 22 meeting of the Russia–Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission in Astrakhan, where the two sides reviewed the state of economic ties.
The detainee question has dogged relations since early July, when Russian media reported multiple arrests in Baku. Moscow has publicly pressed for consular access – at times saying access was lacking, then later indicating it had been arranged for a group of 13 Russians – as both governments offered competing accounts in state and regional outlets.
Zakharova framed the broader relationship as going through a “difficult stage,” but insisted normalization is achievable if humanitarian concerns are addressed first, with releases seen as the clearest goodwill signal.
