Aysor, Armenia
April 17 2010

Situation in Azerbaijan can get out of control

The "Broken Pillar: Democracy in US-Azerbaijani Relations’ Forum took
place in Washington on April 16, organized by Johns Hopkins University
and Azerbaijani AZAD organisation, which advocates US support for
democracy in Azerbaijan and promotes US-Azerbaijani relations based on
principles of respect for fundamental human rights and liberties.

The forum gathered numerous officials, experts, analysts, and
journalists for a discussion, related to the item of support for
democracy as a US foreign policy priority in relations with
Azerbaijan.

`If democracy and freedom of speech remains under pressure in
Azerbaijan, the situation can get out of control and move in
undesirable direction,’ told the Forum Senior Transatlantic Fellow at
The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Former US Assistant
Secretary of State David Kramer.

He stressed that every time he referred to the issue of democracy in
Azerbaijan, its authorities use the Karabakh issue to blame the
international community. `This is not normal,’ said Kramer.