AZERBAIJAN: BUSH’S REMARKS IRRESPONSIBLE
PRESS TV
May 4 2008
Iran
Azerbaijan Republic officials have branded recent comments by President
Bush’s on a lack of free expression in their country irresponsible.
Ramiz Mekhtiev, the head of president’s office and Khazar Ibragim,
foreign ministry spokesperson said in speeches on Friday that freedom
of press and human rights in Azerbaijan is far more substantial than
in other south Caucasus’s states such as Armenia and Georgia.
According to the US, human rights and democracy is considered as
established only in countries that have undergone a bloody power
struggle and been mired in great chaos and the loss of innocent
lives. Since Azerbaijan has not experienced any of those conditions,
its circumstances are simply beyond US perceptions the Azerbaijani
officials explained.
The head of Azerbaijan’s president office also noted that the US
Embassy in Baku has paid out USD 3.2m for the upcoming presidential
election–thereby directly meddling in state affairs. He said a
change in the American opinion about the situation in Azerbaijan
would be welcomed.