Baku, Azerbaijan, June 23
By Elmira Tariverdiyeva – Trend:
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has said the question asked by the pro-Armenian Regnum news agency about installation of monuments to Mammad Amin Rasulzade in Azerbaijan is a provocation.
During a briefing held June 23, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry Mariya Zakharova refused to answer Regnum’s question, noting that the Foreign Ministry’s position had been made clear in its letter of response to the agency’s editorial office.
In its inquiry, Regnum expressed dissatisfaction that earlier Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “surprised” with installation of a monument to Nazi collaborationist Garegin Nzhdeh in Armenia’s capital.
In its letter of response to Regnum, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said:
“Regarding your appeal over Russian Foreign Ministry’s reaction to installation of monuments to Mammad Amin Rasulzade, we would like to ask a counter question: has Regnum inquired about Russia’s attitude towards these issues over the last 15 years and why has the agency inquired about the monuments related to the Second World War in the context of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia?
“We suppose that in essence, the formulation of your question can only be assessed as a provocation.
“Essentially, we would like to note the following:
“Russia’s stance towards Hitler collaborationists is known well and this stance has been repeatedly expressed by Russian Foreign Ministry’s representatives both within the country and beyond, during international forums.”
During the World War II, Garegin Nzhdeh assisted the Armenian Legion of the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of the Nazi Germany. The Armenian Legion fought against the Soviet army and Soviet partisans.
The Armenian Legion was also acting as the Nazis' punitive force and participated in all the criminal acts of the Nazis, including the Holocaust of the Jews.