Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has said that citizens of Russia with Armenian family names can visit Baku, but they need to inform the country's embassy in Moscow beforehand due to what he described as an “emotional background” because of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“We say: if any citizens of Russia with Armenian surnames want to come to Azerbaijan, [they should come] for God's sake,” said Mammadyarov in an interview with Izvestia.

“But they should at least inform our embassy in advance, because we have a visa-free regime with Russia, and the information received in advance will help us prevent any incidents, given the emotional background in Azerbaijan regarding the existing conflict (the Nagorno Karabakh conflict - Ed.).”

“We always speak quite frankly with the Russian side on the matter.”

Azerbaijan has a record of denying entry to people with Armenian surnames irrespective of their citizenship, even deporting them in some cases. A veteran of the Great Patriotic War, citizens of Russia and EU countries have not been allowed to enter Azerbaijan on various occasions.