Ilham Aliyev refused to go to the Victory Parade: Relations between Moscow and Baku are strained

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has decided not to attend the solemn parade dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in World War II, which will be held in the Russian capital Moscow on May 9. This was announced by Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president.

According to the official explanation, Ilham Aliyev canceled his visit to Moscow at the last minute, and this decision was explained by the need to participate in local events dedicated to the country's first president Heydar Aliyev in Azerbaijan. However, analysts suggest that political reasons may lie behind this decision.

Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith will also not attend the parade. According to official data, he has contracted the coronavirus and will be replaced in Moscow by Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane.

It is worth noting that the Victory Parade is expected to be attended by leaders of more than 20 countries of the world. Among them are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Vietnamese Communist Party Secretary General To Lam, Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and presidents of Central Asian countries.

It is noteworthy that Ilham Aliyev last participated in the parade in Moscow in 2015. In March of this year, Azerbaijani and Russian officials announced that they had accepted Aliyev's invitation to participate in the parade. However, the events that followed this decision, in particular, the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in December, have seriously tested relations between the two countries.

It is worth recalling that 38 people died in this plane crash, and the incident was attributed to the downing of the plane by the Russian air defense system over Grozny. Aliyev accused the Russian side of covering up the incident and offering "nonsense versions" to the public about this tragedy.

In this situation, Aliyev's decision not to go to Moscow, although it is connected with official reasons, could seriously affect the trust and cooperation between the two countries. This could create new difficulties for further diplomatic relations.

Such tension, which arose before the parade in Moscow, will naturally increase the attention of international observers and political analysts.

News