VLADIVOSTOK, September 4. /TASS/. Russia hopes Azerbaijan facilitates the return of the 13 Russian citizens currently detained there, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.
"Our biggest concern is the 13 citizens of ours that are detained. We hope the Azerbaijani leadership will act with graciousness and allow them to return home soon," Overchuk told reporters.
Despite the situation, he stressed that economic relations between the two countries remain strong. "We are in constant communication and have been actively engaging with our Azerbaijani counterparts, including at the SCO summit. Our economic ties are developing as planned," he added.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that consular officials had been granted access to the detainees.
Among those held are Russian journalists Igor Kartavykh and Yevgeny Belousov, alongside other citizens. Their detention comes amid a criminal investigation: on June 28, the Russian Investigative Committee in Sverdlovsk Region reported dismantling a gang responsible for a series of murders in Yekaterinburg in the early 2000s, with eight suspects taken into custody.
The 10th Eastern Economic Forum is taking place in Vladivostok from September 3 to 6 under the theme "The Far East: Cooperation for Peace and Prosperity." The business program will feature more than 100 thematic sessions divided into seven tracks. The forum is expected to bring together over 4,500 participants from more than 70 countries and territories. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the EEF, with TASS as its general information partner.