“BEAR GRILLING” SON OF AZERBAIJANI TRANSPORT MINISTER ESTABLISHES LOBBY GROUP IN THE US
AzeriReport
Dec 7 2011
Azerbaijan
WASHINGTON DC. December 7, 2011: The Hill publication announced the
arrival of another Azerbaijani lobbying group to the DC. Anar Mammadov,
a young son of an Azeri oligarch/transport minister Ziya Mammadov,
established a non-profit organization called the Azerbaijan America
Alliance. “Founded by Anar Mammadov, a young Azerbaijani businessman
and son of the country’s transportation minister, the Alliance hopes
to highlight the ties between Azerbaijan and the United States, whether
it’s through energy or national-security interests,” reported The Hill.
The Azerbaijan America Alliance is led by Anar Mammadov, Ziya
Mammadov’s son and the chairman of the multi million dollar ZQAN
Holding, and one other person – Khayal Sharifzade. Khayal Sharifzade
is the board member of the ZQAN Holding and the former CEO of the
Bank of Azerbaijan.
The Hill reported the following on the recent activities of the
Azerbaijan America Alliance: “According to Justice Department records
filed in May, the Alliance signed a $2.4 million, yearlong contract
with the lobby firm Fabiani & Co. to conduct outreach in the United
States. Jim Fabiani, a longtime GOP lobbyist and former chairman and
CEO of Cassidy & Associates, is leading the effort.”
On the surface, the new lobbying group is aimed at counter-balancing
the Armenian lobby organizations. However, the establishment of this
“anti-Armenian lobby” organization coincides with the time when nothing
significant is happening on the frontlines of the diplomatic standoff
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, while at the same time a lot is going
on a completely different field. A new wave of democratic movements
is shaking the region in Azerbaijan’s neighborhood.
Azerbaijan itself has seen rising tensions as the democratic forces
in the country started challenging the Aliyev regime more aggressively
than ever since April this year.
Taking into account the terrible human rights record of the Azerbaijani
government and the previous history of the lobbying groups established
by the people close to the Azerbaijani government, it is safe to
assume that the Azerbaijan America Alliance is more likely to lobby
for the Aliyev regime than fight against the Armenian lobby in the US
politics. The choice of a new face of the Azerbaijani government in
the US is not without a controversy taking into account the long list
of misdeeds in Anar Mammadov’s young, yet eventful life (Azerireport).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2011/12/08/baku-bear-grilling-son-of-azerbaijani-transport-minister-establis/
