Azerbaijan has added Russian State Duma member Nikolai Valuev on its persona non grata list, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan, Aykhan Hajizada, said.
“The insulting, threatening statements by the first deputy chairman of the Committee on Tourism of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Nikolai Valuev against Azerbaijan and our people are absolutely unacceptable,” the Azerbaijani MFA spox said.
According to him, Valuev has been banned from entering Azerbaijan due to “insulting statements and threats” that he allegedly made against Azerbaijan and its people.
“In connection with the statements of this MP against Azerbaijan, his name has been included in the list of persons whose entry into the Republic of Azerbaijan is prohibited,” Hajizada said.
He stressed that this is not the first time that Russian legislators have been put on the Azerbaijani list of persona non grata. Hajizada recalled that Russian lawmakers Konstantin Zatulin and Vitaly Milonov had previously been included in this list.
Earlier, Russian State Duma member Nikolai Valuev, who is a former professional boxer, slammed the closure of the Russian House in Baku by the Azerbaijani authorities. Also, the politician called on the Russian authorities to pay attention to the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia. According to him, such organizations operate for the sake of money, and they do not always operate legally.
