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ALIEV VOWS TO 'FIGHT' ARMENIAN DIASPORA
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 17 2006
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev announced Tuesday a campaign to
counter the influence of the Armenian diaspora.
Aliev said his oil-rich ex-Soviet republic was opening embassies
and consulates in parts of the world where the Armenian diaspora was
especially influential.
"It's no secret that California is a state with a large Armenian
population. We opened a consulate general (in Los Angeles) to be
there and to fight the Armenian lobby," Aliev said in an interview
with Arabic network Al-Jazeera, a transcript of which was published
by Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertaj.
Aliev said his country planned to open an embassy in Argentina, where
the Armenian lobby "is strongest among Latin American nations." "One
might ask, 'Why open an embassy in a country with which we have no
serious links.' But we're opening an embassy to fight the Armenian
lobby on its own turf," Aliev said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a territorial dispute over
the Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic-Armenian enclave since before the break-up
of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan lost control of the territory and seven
surrounding regions during a war in the early 1990s, but Karabakh's
status has yet to be settled. Diaspora Armenians are key to financing
the rebel government controlling the enclave. The world-wide Armenian
diaspora has numbered in the millions since Armenians were forced out
of Ottoman Turkey in a series of massacres and forced marches during
World War I.
Aliev said Azerbaijan's new oil wealth gave it a chance to
outweigh ethnic-Armenians' influence abroad. "What is attractive
about Armenia...? Only the fact that it has a rich diaspora that
influences the policies of various countries," Aliev said. "Azerbaijan
is a country that will supply Europe and world markets with energy
resources. Imagine Azerbaijan on one side of the scale and Armenia
on the other."
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Oct 17 2006
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev announced Tuesday a campaign to
counter the influence of the Armenian diaspora.
Aliev said his oil-rich ex-Soviet republic was opening embassies
and consulates in parts of the world where the Armenian diaspora was
especially influential.
"It's no secret that California is a state with a large Armenian
population. We opened a consulate general (in Los Angeles) to be
there and to fight the Armenian lobby," Aliev said in an interview
with Arabic network Al-Jazeera, a transcript of which was published
by Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertaj.
Aliev said his country planned to open an embassy in Argentina, where
the Armenian lobby "is strongest among Latin American nations." "One
might ask, 'Why open an embassy in a country with which we have no
serious links.' But we're opening an embassy to fight the Armenian
lobby on its own turf," Aliev said.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a territorial dispute over
the Nagorno-Karabakh ethnic-Armenian enclave since before the break-up
of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan lost control of the territory and seven
surrounding regions during a war in the early 1990s, but Karabakh's
status has yet to be settled. Diaspora Armenians are key to financing
the rebel government controlling the enclave. The world-wide Armenian
diaspora has numbered in the millions since Armenians were forced out
of Ottoman Turkey in a series of massacres and forced marches during
World War I.
Aliev said Azerbaijan's new oil wealth gave it a chance to
outweigh ethnic-Armenians' influence abroad. "What is attractive
about Armenia...? Only the fact that it has a rich diaspora that
influences the policies of various countries," Aliev said. "Azerbaijan
is a country that will supply Europe and world markets with energy
resources. Imagine Azerbaijan on one side of the scale and Armenia
on the other."