AZERBAIJAN PAID U.S. LOBBYISTS OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.03.2009 15:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The U.S. Ministry of Justice published a report on
the activity of lobbyist companies, presenting interests of foreign
states, organizations, and private citizens of the USA. In the first
half-year of 2008 the structures of Russia, the Ukraine, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Estonia, and Nagorno-Karabakh made
use of the services of the lobbyists.

According to the report, Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates
received from the Azerbaijani MFA 39.1 thousand dollars for working
out and disseminating information.

"JWI received from the International Bank of Azerbaijan about 108.1
thousand dollars for the operations on lobbying the legislation in
the interests of the pledge. The same company received 26 thousand
dollars from the Azerbaijani President for similar operations in
working out the strategy on the relations with the press."

The Livingston Group company received 347.9 thousand dollars for
organizing political consultations with the members of the US Congress,
from the Azerbaijan MFA through the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the USA,
and also for carrying out various actions on the subject of building
American- Azerbaijan relations, freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, and
assistance in organizing visits of Azerbaijani MFA representatives in
the USA. The Melwood Communications company received from the Embassy
of Azerbaijan an unspecified sum for carrying out media- strategy in
the interests of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan General
Consulate transferred about 8.9 thousand dollars to Sitrick and
Company for the assistance rendered in building contacts with the
media of the city of Los Angeles, as stated in the report of the
U.S. Ministry of Justice.

As is stated in the same report, the Government of Nagorno-Karabakh
transferred 103.5 thousand dollars to the organization Office of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the USA for building contacts with the
power lobby of Washington, with the public relations and the media,
the dissemination of information regarding the issue of building up a
peace process. Besides, William Spenser, a PR specialist working in
the interests of Nagorno-Karabakh received an unspecified sum from
the standing representative of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the USA,
Vardan Barseghyan, as is stated in Washington ProFile.