The Council of Europe has expressed concern over Azerbaijan's persistent hostile narrative against neighbouring Armenia.

The new opinion on Azerbaijan by the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) was published Monday, February 4.

"The generally positive attitude towards diversity in Azerbaijan starkly contrasts with the persistent hostile narrative against neighbouring Armenia as a result of the ongoing Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which can hardly be discerned from hate speech against Armenians as an ethnic group," the paper says.

Also, the Committee said it is deeply concerned by the continued restrictions and problematic legal and political environment for non-governmental organisations and individuals promoting human rights in Azerbaijan, including those of persons belonging to national minorities.