Azerbaijan Skips CIS Summit as AZAL Crash Dispute With Russia Remains Unresolved
Azerbaijan’s decision not to attend the informal CIS summit comes as the crisis over last year’s AZAL civilian aircraft crash remains unresolved.
The tragedy occurred when an AZAL Baku–Grozny flight crashed in Kazakhstan at the same time the Azerbaijani president was flying to a CIS meeting in Russia. The presidential plane was turned back to Baku, where the president immediately held an emergency meeting at the airport.
In October, at the CIS summit in Dushanbe, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that the crash resulted from Russian air defense activity and offered an apology, promising to act “as required in such situations.” These steps include completing the investigation, paying compensation, and holding those responsible accountable.
Nearly two and a half months later, none of these measures have been completed. The investigation is still ongoing, compensation has not been paid, and no accountability has been announced.
Against this backdrop, Baku sees no basis for high-level engagement with Russia on the issue. Azerbaijan maintains that its position is justified and consistent, while emphasizing it has no problems with the CIS format itself and continues to strengthen relations with other member states.
As the anniversary of the crash approaches, Azerbaijani-Russian relations end the year with the aircraft crisis still open. Baku has made its position clear: it is ready to close the issue if Russia fulfills its obligations in full — or to pursue international legal avenues if it does not. End / Diplomats World
