Today.Az, Azerbaijan
May 6 2008

Asim Mollazade: "Armenian lobby organizations lead the campaign of
attempt to draw a veil over Armenia’s internal problems, which have
become known to the whole world"

06 May 2008 [11:48] – Today.Az

Day.Az interview with MP Asim Mollazade, chairman of the Party of
Democratic Reforms.

-How would you comment on the tough criticism of Azerbaijan by US
State Secretary Condoleezza Rice first and US President George Bush
then?

-First of all the speech of US President George Bush was not devoted
to assessment of situation in Azerbaijan in separate. It dated to the
World Day of Press. However, I do not think that the criticism of the
US leadership is something surprising as official Washington has
repeatedly made due announcements addressed to Azerbaijan.

-Do you agree that US allocation of over $3,000,000 for conduction of
upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan is interference with the
internal affairs of our country?

-Of course, not. The US allocation of over $3,000,000 for different
programs aimed at conduction of fair and transparent elections in
Azerbaijan, is also not new. The United States have allocated definite
assets for all elections in Azerbaijan through various funds and
organizations. Moreover, a part of allocated funds will be spent for
work with government organizations. Therefore, I think it is incorrect
to draw too much attention to the said traditional actions of the
United States or call them the interference with the internal affairs
of Azerbaijan.

-Speaking about Condoleezza Rice’s announcement addressed to
Azerbaijan, several local experts consider not the fact of criticism
incorrect but the comparison with Armenia, where bloody events
occurred. Do you agree with this statement?

-I agree that Condoleezza Rice’s announcement is not a criticism of
Azerbaijan. It is an attempt to draw a veil over the problems of
Armenia, which became known to the world society after the recent
presidential election in this country.

Though, it is well known to everyone that people were killed during
the bloody events in Yerevan, over 200 representatives of Armenian
opposition were arrested and the parliament deputies are currently
under arrest in Armenia. Censorship and emergency state have been
applied in this country. Unfortunately, the world society has not
condemned these actions of the Armenian leadership. I can suggest that
this is because the world community, on the whole, and the United
States do not want the development of democracy in Armenia.

– But, why do you think the United States try to distract attention
from the need to punish those, who committed bloodshed in Yerevan and
ruined the idea of democracy in this country, to the attempt to assess
situation with the level of democracy in Armenia and Azerbaijan?

-Active role is played by the Armenian lobby organizations, which lead
the campaign on the attempt to draw a veil over the big problems
inside Armenia, including the problems of freedom of speech, freedom
of political convictions and other problems in human rights, well
known to the whole world.

In this connection, I would like to remind one interesting moment: I
have repeatedly asked the representatives of the Council of Europe,
why the representatives of Armenian opposition and human rights
organizations, which could speak of the real life in Armenia,
repressions against the opponents of powers of these countries, are
not invited to the hearing on the situation in Armenia. I received no
response to my question. Thus, we can say that the United States, and
the whole West do not want to see Armenia as a developed and
democratic state. It seems that the United States and West prefer to
see Armenia as an outpost state.

-There is a truth that nothing is free of charge. In other words, what
can Armenia offer to the United States, as a gratitude for the policy
of official Washington of carrying Armenia out of this situation in
which she found herself owing to its support to separatism and
territorial claims to neighbor countries?

-Nothing. Moreover, I am sure that the leadership of Armenia will
further conduct policy aimed at escalation of aggression in the South
Caucasus region and will not make any concessions in the negotiation
process on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, preferring to
imitate the negotiation process. Therefore, I think that such policy
towards Armenia is an ill office for the Armenian people which is
doomed to stay under control of military criminals. These actions also
demonstrate the weakness of not only the United States, but also all
the democratic countries of the world before the Armenian lobby, whose
actions contradict to the national interests of the United States.

-Do you really think that Armenian lobby is so strong that it is able
to press on official Washington and the leading countries of the
country?

-Certainly, it is. In particular, we have already witnessed how ethnic
lobby groups conducted activities, contradicting to the national
interests of the United States.

-But what should Azerbaijan do if the Armenian lobby is so
influential?

-Azerbaijan should work at creation of its lobby organization and
strengthen its positions in the world and be stronger.

-I would once more return to the announcements of the US
leaders. Don’t you think that criticism addressed to Azerbaijan before
the presidential elections prove that the United States tend to
criticize their results, even if ideal elections are held in our
country?

-I do not think that there is a risk of such developments. I think
that free and democratic elections in Azerbaijan will be highly
appreciated by the United States.

-Is the possibility of free and democratic elections in Azerbaijan
high?

-I think Azerbaijan has all conditions for conduction of transparent
and democratic elections. Merely, a great deal of work should be done
in this direction.

/Day.Az/

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