Azerbaijan blacklists Russian MP Vitaly Milonov for visiting Artsakh

Azerbaijan included Russian State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov in its “black list” for visiting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), TASS reported, citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

"We strongly condemn the illegal visit of Vitaly Milonov, a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the ruling United Russia party, to the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Vitaly Milonov’s name was included in the list of foreign nationals who are prohibited from entering Azerbaijan for such a visit,” the ministry said in a statement.

This step, which overtly shows support to the local government, “contradicts the high-level relations between Azerbaijan and Russia,” the statement added.