Azerbaijani lawyer: Support for separatists to harm U.S. image not only in Azerbaijan

Day.Az: What are your views on reports that the U.S. will allocate $8 million in assistance for the self-declared "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" in 2010?

Aslan Ismayilov: I consider this move by the U.S. as a demonstration of an inconsistent policy. One on hand, the United States recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and on the other hand provides financial assistance to Karabakh separatists. I am convinced that after such an open demonstration of “double standards” in which the U.S. remains the only country in the world openly financing the Karabakh separatists, will leave no arguments to those who defend the United States in Azerbaijan to justify its actions. Open support for the separatists will have extremely negative impact on this country’s image not only in Azerbaijan, but also the entire South Caucasus.

To what degree the U.S. financial aid to "NKR" is consistent with the fact that the official website of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency indicates Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan’s territory occupied by Armenia and illegal Nagorno-Karabakh authorities - separatists?

These facts are inconsistent. This discrepancy proves inconsistency in the U.S. policy, as a result of which the U.S. may lose not only Azerbaijan but also the entire South Caucasus. CIA’s recognizing Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and calling illegal authorities in Karabakh separatist while the U.S. provides $8 million in assistance for these separatists testifies that the U.S. Congress implements a policy that runs counter to country’s national interests trying to implement the steps the Congressmen pledged to voters during the election campaign.

It was the U.S. Congress who adopted the 907th amendment in relation to Azerbaijan under pressure from Armenian lobby making the U.S. into only country in the world providing financial assistance to Karabakh separatists. I told all these to Americans in 1999, when we participated in a news conference at the head office of Radio Liberty in Washington. Nothing has changed since then.

What steps Azerbaijan needs to take to explain the U.S. that its policy of providing aid to Karabakh separatists is wrong?

Azerbaijan should at the highest level raise the issue of providing financial assistance to Karabakh separatists, which runs counter to officially declared U.S. position on recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. Azerbaijan also needs to strengthen role and influence of Azerbaijani lobby in the United States. Finally, it is extremely difficult to overestimate role of local politicians, political scientists, heads of numerous NGOs and ordinary citizens with an opportunity to communicate with counterparts from the United States. They have an opportunity to give detailed information to Americans about real causes and consequences of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to indicate inaccuracy of support for the Karabakh separatists.

Unfortunately, Americans have a very small awareness about causes and consequences of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict including processes in the region.

For example, during the news conference at the  head office of Radio Liberty I mentioned above, journalists from the leading U.S. media were very surprised to learn from me that there are no Russian military bases in Azerbaijan while there is largest Russian military base in Armenia and that Azerbaijan has taken steps to demonstrate its pro-Western orientation, while Armenia is the "outpost of Russia in the Caucasus.”

All this suggests that we need to have outreach to American journalists, senators, congressmen and diplomats as much as possible to raise their awareness about Azerbaijan, causes and consequences of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and territories around it.

A. Hasanov