Germany apologizes to Azerbaijan over Karabakh flag post by President Steinmeier

Germany has issued an official apology to Azerbaijan after a controversial Instagram post by President Frank Walter Steinmeier showed a flag associated with the former Armenian administration in Karabakh.

The post appeared ahead of Steinmeier’s state visit to Armenia and was later deleted.

According to Azerbaijani officials, the German Ambassador to Baku, Ralf Horlemann, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Azerbaijani authorities conveyed their protest, calling the post disrespectful to Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministry labeled the post a “political provocation” and formally requested an apology from the German government.

German Presidential Office issues formal apology

Dorte Dinger, head of the Office of the German Presidency, sent a letter to Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy advisor to the president of Azerbaijan.

In the letter, Dinger acknowledged that the image containing the flag was mistakenly published on President Steinmeier’s Instagram account and was promptly removed once the error was noticed.

Dinger emphasized that the post did not reflect Germany’s official position regarding Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

She described the incident as a “technical error” and expressed deep regret for any misunderstanding the post may have caused.

An incorrect image of the flag of a region of Azerbaijan and related text were published on the social media account of the federal president for a short period. The post was immediately deleted after the error was discovered.

This post was published because of a technical error and does not make any sense in relation to Germany’s known position on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

I am very disappointed that such an error was made. I sincerely apologize for the wrong impression the post has created in some people in Azerbaijan.

The upcoming visit of the Federal President aims to strengthen the Azerbaijani-German partnership and support the ongoing peace process in the region.

Dorte Dinger, Head of the Office of the Federal President

Planned visits aim to strengthen Germany-Azerbaijan relations

Despite the incident, Germany has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Azerbaijan. Dinger noted that President Steinmeier’s upcoming visit to Azerbaijan aims to support the partnership between the two countries and contribute to ongoing peace efforts in the region.

Following his visit to Armenia, President Steinmeier is expected to travel to Azerbaijan for official discussions and regional engagement.