Zakharova said attempts by individual forces to split relations between Moscow and Baku

Relations between Moscow and Baku have the character of a strategic alliance, but there are forces that do not like it. This was announced on July 3 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, on the air of the Solovyov Live TV channel.

"We must remember that they (relations between Moscow and Baku. — Ed.) have the character of a strategic alliance. Of course, there are forces that don't like this," the diplomat stressed.

She added that consular access to the arrested Russian citizens in Azerbaijan has not yet been provided. According to her, Russian diplomats continue to work with their Azerbaijani counterparts.

"We proceed from the fact that he (consular access. — Ed.) will be provided, it must be provided," Zakharova said.

On the occasion: Kiev is trying to aggravate relations between Moscow and Baku

With his call to Aliyev, Zelensky wanted to provoke Baku into emotional actions.

On July 2, Zakharova announced that Moscow was calling on Baku to take measures to return the countries' relations to the level of strategic alliance. She added that all issues need to be resolved in a partnership manner, using diplomatic channels.

On June 30, Azerbaijani security forces conducted an operation in the office of Sputnik Azerbaijan. Later, it was reported about the detention of two Russian journalists — Igor Kartavykh, the head of the agency's editorial office, and Evgeny Belousov, the editor-in-chief. Then it became known that eight more Russian citizens were detained in Baku. They were arrested for four months.