BAKU: The Presidents Have Agreed Upon Their Interests

THE PRESIDENTS HAVE AGREED UPON THEIR INTERESTS

Azadliq
Sept 18 2008
Azerbaijan

The frame of relations between the two countries are obvious,
therefore, they do not overstep the frame

Zardust Alizada: ‘ They are prepared to do anything neither for the
people of Russia nor for Azerbaijan’

[Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev’s Moscow visit has been topping
the agenda over the last two days. Moscow is keen to know what position
Azerbaijan will take following its neutral stance to the events in
Georgia. Russia has started to display more interest on the issue
especially after the visit of US Vice President Dick Cheney to the
region [on 4 September]. Statements issued by the Russian leadership
are proof of this.

Commenting on the visit, political expert Zardust Alizada said that
the presidents are only driven by their crony interests: "Medvedev told
Ilham Aliyev that everything should remain unchanged. They also spoke
about gas prices. They are not prepared to and will not do anything
for the peoples of Russia or Azerbaijan. Both presidents have their
own crony interests.

"After this, they asked about the visits of Cheney and [Turkish
President Abdullah] Gul [to Baku]. They elaborated what they had
spoken about here. Russia’s position on the Karabakh issue also
remains unchanged."

Alizada believes the course of Russian and Azerbaijani relations
is obvious and it is inappropriate to expect anyhting new: "The
frame of relations between the two countries is obvious. They do
not overstep the frame. Russia is now cornered at the international
level. Therefore, Moscow invites those presidents who are more or
less loyal to it. This creates an illusion that it is not in isolation
when, in fact, an isolation is in place. The attitude towards Russia
worldwide has changed sharply. People who love Russia understand
that indifference to senseless violence will not go unpunished by
the international community.