Hikmet Hajiyev: Azerbaijan calls on Russia to take responsibility in the case of the downed AZAL aircraft

Official Baku expects that Moscow will take responsibility for shooting down the AZAL aircraft operating the Baku - Grozny flight, and will ensure justice in this case.

As Report informs, this was stated by the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev in an interview with the German publication Berliner Zeitung.

According to him, there have been no cardinal changes in Russian-Azerbaijani relations, however, in recent months there has been some misunderstanding and growing tension in the bilateral agenda.

"Such incidents can occur even between neighboring countries. It all started with the plane crash (of the AZAL aircraft - ed.), which deeply shocked Azerbaijani society. It happened on Russian territory, in Russian airspace, and we know how it happened - it's no longer a secret. Azerbaijan, as a neighbor and partner, expects Russia to take responsibility and ensure justice in this case," added Hajiyev.

Recall that the AZAL passenger plane, operating the Baku - Grozny flight, crashed on December 25 near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. Of the 67 people on board the aircraft, 38 died and 29 survived.

According to preliminary data, the plane crashed as a result of physical and technical external impact in the airspace of the Russian Federation over Grozny.