Baku: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has expressed his firm stance against any form of aggression or disrespect toward Azerbaijan in a recent interview with Al-Arabiya TV channel, as reported by APA. He cited an incident from the Second Karabakh War, highlighting Azerbaijan's response to mistakenly shooting down a Russian helicopter on November 9. President Aliyev explained that the helicopter, approaching from Armenia, was assumed to be an Armenian aircraft entering Azerbaijani airspace without authorization.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Aliyev promptly apologized to the Russian president on the day of the incident and ensured compensation was provided to the families of the deceased pilots and to the Russian Ministry of Defense. An investigation was conducted, and those responsible for the error were held accountable. However, President Aliyev noted the absence of a similar response from Russia, describing the situation as a serious issue in bilateral relations.

President Aliyev further expressed disappointment at the lack of clarity from Russia regarding the incident and criticized the treatment of Azerbaijanis in Russia, citing cases of two individuals who died under suspicious circumstances. He emphasized that Azerbaijan is not responsible for the deterioration of relations, insisting that the country responds in a lawful and constructive manner and will not tolerate any aggression or disrespect.