AZERI OPPOSITION COMMENTS ON OBAMA’S VICTORY

Day.az
Nov 7 2008
Azerbaijan

US presidency will be a real challenge for Barack Obama since he will
have to deal with serious domestic and foreign crises, the chairman
of the opposition public forum For Azerbaijan, Eldar Namazov, told
Day.az website on 6 November.

Namazov said that Obama’s view of international problems coincided with
Azerbaijan’s positions as both preferred the resolution of conflicts
within the framework of international law. Obama’s visit to Azerbaijan
in August 2005 indicates his interest in the region, he added.

Commenting on Obama’s promise to recognize as genocide the killings
of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915, Namazov said that Obama
used to represent the state of Illinois which has a strong Armenian
lobby. However, Namazov said, it is better to wait and see how the
new president will act.

In an interview with opposition daily Azadliq on 7 November, the
deputy chairman of the opposition People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party,
Fuad Mustafayev, said that the Obama would not have a good relationship
with the Azerbaijani authorities. He also said that Washington’s policy
towards Azerbaijan would be defined by US-Russian relations. Even
though energy interests are said not to be a priority for the future
Obama administration, conflict between democracy and energy interests
will remain part of US policies, Mustafayev said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress