Apology from Germany for Social Media Post Misstep

Dörte Dinger, the Head of the German Presidential Office, addressed a letter to Hikmet Hajiyev, the Counsellor to the President of Azerbaijan. In the letter, Dinger clarified that a certain post was mistakenly published on President Steinmeier’s social media account. This post was visible only for a short duration before it was promptly removed upon realizing the error. Dinger explained, “This post was published due to a technical error and does not reflect Germany‘s established position on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. I sincerely regret that such a mistake occurred. I extend my heartfelt apologies for any misleading impression this post may have created among people in Azerbaijan.” Additionally, Dinger highlighted that President Steinmeier’s visit to Azerbaijan is intended to bolster the partnership between Azerbaijan and Germany and to support the ongoing peace initiatives in the region. It is worth mentioning that prior to Steinmeier’s visit to Armenia, Germany faced diplomatic repercussions when the German Ambassador to Baku was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was in response to the Ambassador’s use of the “flag” of the former occupation regime in Karabakh on his Instagram account, prompting a request for an apology from Germany. President Steinmeier, having visited Armenia, is scheduled to engage in discussions in Azerbaijan as part of his diplomatic mission.