ALL FOUR OF ITS IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS VOTED AGAINST YEREVAN AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Azeri Press Agency
March 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Consul General Elin Suleymanov: As a result of Armenia’s own
irresponsible policies in the region, all four of its immediate
neighbors voted against Yerevan at the UN General Assembly

Los Angeles. Husniyya Hasanova – APA. Consul General of Azerbaijan
in Los Angeles Elin Suleymanov interviewed by APA

– Recently a group of Armenian Diaspora members in California issued
a statement criticizing the Government of Azerbaijan and you in
particular for trying to divide Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.

Azerbaijan was accused of "divide and conquer" policy towards the
Armenians. How would you comment on this?

– I am very surprised to hear about the statement you described in
your question. As you know, Azerbaijan does not and has no intention
to interfere in anyone’s internal affairs. This has been a repeatedly
stated policy by our Government. On the contrary, it is unfortunate
that the Armenian side has been trying to involve Azerbaijan into
its domestic political confrontation. First, the voting for Armenian
president was organized on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories; then,
the Armenian side initiated a military provocation along the line of
contact, apparently, in order to distract attention from the events
in Yerevan. Now, some Diaspora members are saying that Azerbaijan
is responsible for political divisions among Armenians. I don’t know
who the authors of the statement you mentioned are. However, it is an
old trick to blame someone externally when one has problems internally.

While predictable, blaming Azerbaijan for Armenia’s current problems
by Armenian radicals is simply absurd. After all, it was not the
Azerbaijani side, who protested in Yerevan, and it was not the
Azerbaijani soldiers, who shot at the protesters in Armenia. Once
again, Azerbaijan takes no sides in Armenia’s domestic political crises
and would like to stay away from it. Similarly, the Azerbaijani side
has no interest in "dividing" and "conquering" anyone. Maybe, the
authors of the statement forgot that we do not represent Armenia. Of
course, the current Armenian leaders come from among the separatists
based on Azerbaijan’s occupied territories, but it seems unfair to
blame Azerbaijan for their behavior.

– So, Azerbaijan should have no concerns regarding the recent political
crisis in Armenia?

– The Azerbaijani side hopes that the Armenian political confrontation
will have no destabilizing influence on our region as a whole. Let’s
look at the context, however. Our region is developing rapidly
and Azerbaijan, Georgia and other nations have built a strong
network of partnerships. Armenia could have been a part of our
region’s success. Instead, as a result of self-imposed isolation and
short-sighted policy of aggressive ethnic expansionism conducted by
Yerevan, Armenia is sacrificing its own future and is causing damage
to Azerbaijan as a result of occupation and ethnic cleansing. The
events in Armenia today come as a direct result of a political
culture based on use of violence and ethnic intolerance. Therefore,
on the regional level, it is important whether Armenia’s politicians
understand the importance of a peaceful and sustainable settlement
with Azerbaijan for the future of their own nation. Of course, it is
up to the Armenians themselves to decide how they want their country
to develop. Notably, during the recent UN General Assembly vote on
the resolution on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan all four of
Armenia’s neighbors voted for the resolution and against Armenia.

They are Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and, after sending a special
request to the UN Secretariat to count its vote as positive, Iran.

The Armenian Government spokesman dismissed these and many other
nations, which voted for the resolution by implying that they are not
"civilized." Still, if being in an absolute minority at the General
Assembly doesn’t send Yerevan a message, then having every neighbor
calling on Armenia to cease its occupation of Azerbaijan should.