Paper slams Azeri president’s aircraft deal with Germany
Azadliq, Baku
31 Aug 04
Text of Turqut’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 31 August
headlined “White elephant” and subheaded “What is the plane worth 165m
dollars for?” and “This money seems to be a present for a meeting
with Schroeder”
The purchase of four Airbus 319 planes during [Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Germany still remains a topic of discussion
in the press. What is keeping the issue on the agenda so long is
the big amount of money that will be paid for these aeroplanes – 165m
dollars. This money is being spent on four passenger aircraft, while
less can help solve military, economic, social, cultural and other
problems persisting in the country. One of these aeroplanes is VIP
Personal. In other words, it has nothing to do with ordinary people,
and will serve Aliyev and his family. This jet alone costs 45m dollars.
Pay attention, in neighbouring Georgia [Georgian President Mikheil]
Saakashvili refuses to fly on a presidential plane in a bid to
avoid extra expenses. In Armenia, Kocharyan buys fighters, while
in Azerbaijan Aliyev spends 45m dollars on a plane for himself, as
though he had to travel on a plane worth 45m dollars… [ellipses
as published]
Azerbaijan’s planes and ships have been impounded and put on auction
in Turkey for the debt that is 10 times less than the cost of Aliyev’s
VIP Personal. Azerbaijan has pulled all its ships out of the Black
Sea fearing that they could be impounded as well. On the one hand, the
Aliyev government does not resolve the problem by repaying its debt,
saying that [Deputy Prime Minister] Abid Sarifov is on holiday. On
the other, it buys planes worth 165m dollars.
The most deplorable fact is that Aliyev paid 165m dollars for four
planes not to obtain any economic gain or strengthen Azerbaijan’s
air fleet, but purely for his political goals. Pay heed to what
German Chancellor [Gerhard] Schroeder said. The chancellor openly
declared at a news conference that Aliyev was buying the A-319 planes
not because of their superior quality, but because of political
objectives. It is, of course, understandable what political objectives
are at issue. Aliyev, who has seen the strict face of the USA more
frequently recently and who has not managed to receive an invitation
to that country for 10 months, has got offended and turned towards
Europe. And now, as if teasing Washington, he is busy filling the
budgets of German and French companies. If you remember, he struck
a similar aircraft deal during his visit to France.
If we translate these “political objectives” into an easier
language, it turns out that out of spite at the USA Aliyev has
inflicted 165m dollars of damage on the Azerbaijani people in order
to receive a better welcome in Germany and even to meet Schroeder,
whereas the Azerbaijani people have hundreds of woes that cost 165m
dollars… [ellipses as published]