Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

BAKU: Azeri paper plays down no problem assessment of ties w/Russia

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • BAKU: Azeri paper plays down no problem assessment of ties w/Russia

    Azeri paper plays down "no problem" assessment of ties with Russia

    Zerkalo, Baku
    3 Feb 05

    Excerpt from R. Mirqadirov's report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo
    on 3 February headlined "No problem"

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was received by Azerbaijani
    President Ilham Aliyev yesterday [2 February].

    [Passage omitted: reported details of Lavrov's meetings with President
    Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov]

    So, another visit by a high-ranking official from the neighbouring
    superpower has finished. Judging by official statements, the journey
    has been a success and bilateral relations keep on developing. It
    might seem that there is no reason to be displeased.

    However, something alarming is noticeable against the backdrop of all
    these optimistic statements. And it boils down to the fact that our
    relations with close neighbours are often seen through rose-tinted
    glasses and every time "no problems" statements are being made. This
    assessment has been used when talking about Azerbaijan's relations
    with Georgia, Iran and Russia.

    And then after the assessment the railway communication with Georgia
    was closed and law enforcers of this country fired on ethnic
    Azerbaijanis at point-blank range.

    Meanwhile, Russia cut off natural gas supplies in the middle of
    winter, leaving 40 Azerbaijani districts without heat and
    electricity. At the same time, the chairman of the Russian State Duma
    described Armenia as Russia's outpost in the South Caucasus. If we
    were to follow the same logic, it would appear that there were no
    "serious problems" also between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which would
    mean that we were surrounded only by friends.
Working...
X