The Azerbaijan Embassy: ”Mkhitaryan’s Armenian nationality “would not influence” a visa application made in his name”

Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan will not feature against Qarabag in the Europa League group stage game on Thursday night. According to The Independent, the midfielder will remain in London instead of travelling to Baku’s Olympic Stadium, which will also host the tournament’s final next May, due to tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. However, the Azerbaijan Embassy told The Independent that Mkhitaryan’s Armenian nationality “would not influence” a visa application made in his name. “The only aspect in which the conflict influences possible non-admission of a foreign national into Azerbaijan is whether the person in question has previously visited Nagorno-Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan without the written consent of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” the nation said in a statement. “The decision on granting an Azerbaijani visa to all foreign nationals is subject to certain rules and regulations based on the national legislation and international agreements of Azerbaijan. “Hence the right way to pose any question should not be whether Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be granted an Azerbaijani visa or not, which can’t be answered in advance as is the case with any country including the UK, but whether his nationality will influence his getting Azerbaijani visa, the answer of which is: No.” Arsenal will be looking to record an eighth successive win when they travel to Baku on Thursday. They return to Premier League action on Sunday against Fulham.

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