"The release of detained Russians would be a significant step towards normalizing Russian-Azerbaijani relations" - Zakharova

The release of the Russian citizens detained by Baku would be a significant step towards normalizing relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“At the moment, bilateral relations with Azerbaijan are, to put it mildly, at a difficult stage. Russia is determined to ensure that this does not drag on, and we hope that the situation will be quickly resolved. A significant step on this path would be the release of Russian citizens who continue to be held by the Azerbaijani authorities,” Zakharova said at a briefing.