Azeri leader calls for better fight against Armenian lobby

Azartac news agency, Baku
18 Aug 06

18 August: President Ilham Aliyev said at the second gathering of
the heads of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions abroad that powerful
Armenian lobby organizations are carrying out a smear campaign against
our republic abroad every day. The Armenian lobby is also behind some
biased foreign media reports about Azerbaijan, Aliyev said.

The president stressed that we should strengthen our policies and
struggle in this area. He said Azerbaijan’s diplomatic missions
should be very active on this issue. They have to maintain close ties
not only with the state agencies of the countries where they work,
but also with members of parliament, non-governmental organizations,
the media and the public in order to inform them of the truth about
Azerbaijan, the president said. Aliyev said Azerbaijan has opened
embassies in 21 countries over the past two years.

[Passage omitted: Aliyev said Azerbaijan needs more embassies abroad
to strengthen its international standing]