AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006

PRESIDENT MEETS WITH AZERBAIJAN COMMUNITY
[April 28, 2006, 17:35:55]

President Ilham Aliyev on 27 April in his residence in Washington has
met with members of the Azerbaijan community in the United States.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to USA Hafiz Pashayev, opening the meeting
said Heydar Aliyev constantly took care of the Azerbaijan Diaspora
and regularly met with them during his visits to foreign countries.
Noting that currently the Azerbaijan state gives great importance to
relations with Diaspora, the Ambassador expressed gratitude to
President Aliyev to meet with compatriots. Hafiz Pashayev said the
compatriots had become very active last years, taken part at the 2nd
Congress of World Azerbaijanis in Baku, held a meeting of protest in
the United States, including on the Khojaly genocide.

President Aliyev gave speech at meeting, noting Azerbaijan is quickly
developing country. Its ties with world countries expand day by day.
Azerbaijan has efficient cooperation and with the United States and
these relations rapidly develops, he stressed.

President said along with diplomatic means Azerbaijan also needs
strong Diaspora to rise image and hold up Azerbaijan’s position over
the world.

Head of the Azerbaijan state said the main efforts are directed to
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict. He
stressed necessity of strengthening activity in this direction. To
this end, President of Azerbaijan said activity of the embassies in
foreign countries becomes very important. The establishments should
communicate the world with the truth about the conflict and its
sequences, the reason of the Armenian claims. `Our propaganda should
base on reality’, he stressed.

President of Azerbaijan also necessitated the close coordination
among the Azeri communities and act on common plan, from common
position.

President of Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA) Tomris Azeri,
President of America-Azerbaijan Council Ceyhun Mollazade, the
American representative of the World Azerbaijanis’ Congress and
others spoke of the importance of meeting, and told their
suggestions. President Ilham Aliyev appreciated the offer on creation
of America-Azerbaijan Federation.

The President once again emphasized the importance of coordination of
efforts for common goals, gave his recommendations to set in motion
the more and more people around the Diaspora.