According to Minval.az, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma on the CIS affairs Konstantin Zatulin made a sensational statement regarding Georgy Zuyev’s candidature for the post of Ambassador of Russia to Azerbaijan.

The media reported that Zuyev’s candidature was approved by the State Duma in July this year, but hasn’t been approved by Azerbaijan, yet.

Russia has never requested consent on Georgy Zuyev from the Azerbaijani authorities. It was said by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov on his press conference in Wien last week.

“Regarding our new Ambassador to Azerbaijan, who is to be appointed as soon as the current Ambassador Dorokhin completes his mission, I saw roughly the same rumors that you mentioned in the Internet. We never requested consent on Zuyev from the Government of Azerbaijan. The speculation that somebody has any ties and that affects politics – of course, does not quite correspond to modern civilized requirements” – Lavrov said.

Leonid Kalashnikov, the head of the state-Duma’s committee on Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots said that the candidature of Zuyev, who is the Deputy Director of the Personnel Department of the MFA of Russia, is not even considered. “A diplomat, who currently works as an Ambassador of Russia to one of the CIS States, will be appointed as a new Ambassador to Azerbaijan” – he noted.

“The one who doesn’t have knowledge about Caucasus and adequate diplomatic experience, a dark horse, HR in addition, he probably comes from the “office” – one Azerbaijani official noticed in his conversation with NT, on the conditions of anonymity, and added that he could find neither any photos of Zuyev nor any details of his professional background.

But according to Zatulin, the functional committee of Duma, however, has considered and appointed Zuyev’s candidature.

 “On 5 July 2017, the Committee of the State Duma on the CIS affairs was considering Zuyev’s candidature, but now his candidature is not considered, the President of Russia, will likely appoint another candidate to this post” – the parliamentarian said in the broadcast of Radio “Echo Moskvy”.

 “Of course, I know, why this happens and I think that all this doesn’t flush Russian-Azerbaijani relations” – pro-Armenian Russian Deputy added.

“Certainly, Baku has a right to give consent to the appointment of the Ambassador, no one denies it, but there are traditions and practices wherein you should understand that the Ambassador still will not be Azerbaijani in Azerbaijan, but Russian in Azerbaijan. There is no other option. And whoever he will be, whatever his surname is, whichever roots and ties he has, he well express views of the Russian Federation, not the views that are desired in Baku, with all the love and friendship” – Zatulin concluded.