(Read the full article on Civil.ge)

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Tbilisi today warned against politicizing and portraying yesterday’s violent shop incident in the ethnically mixed southern town of Dmanisi as a confrontation on ethnic grounds, Civil.ge reported.

The incident should only be evaluated at the relevant institutions, and the perpetrators should be punished according to Georgian laws, the Azerbaijani Embassy stressed, adding that the Embassy is in contact with Georgian law enforcement agencies “to prevent any negative consequences of this unpleasant event.”

The Azerbaijani Embassy called on ethnic Azeri locals of Dmanisi “not to get provoked, to demonstrate political maturity and responsibility.”

The statement comes as massive disturbances have been ongoing in Dmanisi in the aftermath of the shop incident, with dozens of locals confronting each other with sticks and stones.