Top U.S. Official Meets With Azerbaijani Officials, NGOs

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October 23, 2009

BAKU — Visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Tina Kaidanow met with Azerbaijani officials and
representatives of nongovernmental organizations in Baku, RFE/RL’s
Azerbaijani Service reports.

Baku-based political observer Hikmet Gadjizade told RFE/RL that at the
meeting with NGOs on October 23 Kaidanow discussed democratization,
human rights, and freedom of speech and the media, as well as the case
of the detained Azerbaijani bloggers.

According to Gadjizade, Kaidanow stressed at the meeting that
Washington is monitoring the democratization process and will be
assisting with any problems.

Kaidanow also held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

This is Kaidanow’s first visit to Azerbaijan since taking her post in August.

Kaidanow also visited Armenia this week, where she held talks with
Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian and Foreign Minister Eduard
Nalbandian