“Zerkalo”: US Department of Justice Officially Registered “Representation of
Nagorno-Garabagh Republic to Washington”
F. Teymurkhanli
_www.zerkalo.az_ ()
15.04.2006
Azerbaijan meets with next failure in ideological war
The fact that the Armenian are ongoing to prevail over the
Azerbaijanis in ideological war does not require any proofs. The best
confirmation is the Nagorno-Garabagh conflict the truth about which
Azerbaijanis cannot bring to the notice of international community.
Approximately 20% Azerbaijani territories is under occupation, about 1
million refugees and internally displaced persons in the country, and
at the presence of these facts Azerbaijan failed to get some cogent
victories in diplomacy.
Yesterday Panarmenian.net referring to Liberty Radio informed that US
Department of Justice published report on registered lobbyist
organizations in the United States. Under the report, US Department of
Justice officially registered lobbyist organization “Representation of
Nagorno-Garabagh Republic to Washington”.
American sources note that it does not mean the official recognition
of the independence of Garabagh by the United States, as in US it is
possible to register under any name. Law regulates lobbyists’ activity
in US, as they are regarded as fourth power pursuing to influence upon
the US policy, informs Liberty Radio. What kind of steps are our
diplomats taking on this point, and in general, do they know about
registration of the above-mentioned lobbyist organization in US? In
talk with correspondent of “Zerkalo” newspaper Tahir Taghizadeh, Chief
of Department for Information Policy of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan, stated that “so-called office of the
Nagorno-Garabagh operates in Washington for some years”. “The
relations in this point were developing not simple. The question
concerns that till December 2004 I worked at the Embassy of Azerbaijan
to US and that’s why I am well-informed about it. In response to our
repeated protests US Department of State replied following: differing
from diplomatic representation, this organization is registered by US
Department of Justice, i.e. as lobbyist non-profit organization”,
stressed T. Taghizadeh.
I.e. according to T. Taghizadeh, US Government accentuated the fact
that this condition does not influence upon the official position of
American authorities towards recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity and recognition of independence of Nagorno-Garabagh. “The
name of this lobbyist organization has been evolved. At first, it was
called “Society for Public Relations of Nagorno-Garabagh””, then
“Nagorno-Garabagh office”, and later transformed to “Office of
Nagorno-Garabagh Republic”. But we failed to exclude the word
“Republic” from the name”, said T. Taghizadeh.
But the Armenian succeeded to register entitled “Representation of
Nagorno-Garabagh Republic”. In connection with that T. Taghizadeh said
that the Embassy of Azerbaijan will make all efforts in order to
change the name of this organization. He also emphasized that during
trips of Azerbaijan’s officials to the US, and during the US
officials’ visit to Baku, this matter has been repeatedly discussed.
So, we see that the Armenians have prevailed us once again. Why don’t
Azerbaijan’s Diaspora in US manage to set up Azerbaijani non-profit
organization and to register it there, moreover, according to
T. Taghizadeh, there are not any problems? The reason is likely in
mentality of our people. In words we are for solidarity, we compose
songs and make verses of poems about inviolability of our nation
unity, but no more. Our words do not meet our works. But the Armenians
without phrase-mongering do their deeds.
We should not be reassured that NGO is registered and it won’t
influence upon US official position towards Nagorno-Garabagh
conflict. The official Baku should be concern with the fact that NGO
under such name has been registered. This organization aiming to
lobby its interests together with “Armenian Group of US Congressmen”,
not today, but tomorrow can influence upon US state policy. It does
not rule out that if we do not raise the alarm on time, then in future
the Armenians by means of “their people” will achieve their purpose in
US Congress. But the purpose is clear: to get recognition of
independence of Nagorno-Garabagh.