Deputy editor-in-chief of Echo of Moscow (Ekho Moskvy) radio station Sergei Buntman, blacklisted in Azerbaijan over his visit to Karabakh and an interview with the republic's officials, confessed to be impartial to both sides of Karabakh conflcit.

“Echo of Moscow has interviewed the Azerbaijani president; further, Armenia accused the radio station of a biassed attitude. I interviewed Armenian President too, but what we needed was a truthful idea of the developements in Karabakh. That was the reason I went to Karabakh. Later, I planned to visit Baku and Azerbaijani refugees camp,” he noted.

Dwelling on Azeri media's discontent over his referring to Artsakh as a republic, the journalist noted, “although the state is not recognised, it has all the criterions of a state. So I don't believe I was incorrect,” Caucasian Knot quoted him as saying.

Last week, Deputy editor-in-chief of Echo of Moscow (Ekho Moskvy) radio station Sergei Buntman was blacklisted in Azerbaijan over his visit to Karabakh. According to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov, following Buntman’s visit and his interviews with Karabakh President Bako Sahakyan and Stepanakert Mayor Vazgen Mikaelyan, Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia was instructed to express a protest and make the radio station authorities aware of Azerbaijan’s position. “Buntman was announced a persona non grata in Azerbaijan,” Vesti.Az quoted the spokesman as saying.