Britain interested in democracy in Azerbaijan – ambassador
Zerkalo, Baku
30 Apr 05
It does not matter who wins the upcoming parliamentary polls
in Azerbaijan, it is much more important to hold free and fair
elections, the British ambassador to Azerbaijan, Lawrence Bristow,
has said. In an interview with the Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo,
the ambassador said that Britain could only help Azerbaijanis build
democracy and that stability in the country depended on the supremacy
of the law and democracy. The ambassador also denied that the BP
oil company was involved in politics in Azerbaijan. The following is
the text of Emin Mahmudov’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo
on 30 April headlined “The UK is interested not in who will win the
parliamentary elections, but in its democratic nature” and subheaded
“The ambassador of the United Kingdom said this in an interview with
Zerkalo”. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:
The constant statements and commentaries by the US government
concerning the developments unfolding in Azerbaijan are scrutinized
by the local public and authorities almost every day.
In this connection, it was quite interesting to find out the opinion of
Great Britain, a country which is interested in Azerbaijan no less than
the USA, but which, according to the local public, is in a relatively
larger “shade” and does not so openly express its attitude to what is
going on in our country. The interest was “boosted” even further by a
series of terse statements by local pro-government MPs about the policy
of Great Britain in Azerbaijan, as well as certain developments that
directly or indirectly impacted on the British policy in our country.
In this connection, we asked the British ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Lawrence Bristow, for an interview. Having received the ambassador’s
kind consent to answer the questions that interest us, the author of
these lines prepared several not very pleasant but topical questions.
Bilateral cooperation
[Correspondent] Mr Ambassador, let me begin with a traditional question
which is usually put to all foreign diplomats. Could you share your
views on bilateral relations between our countries, namely, in the
light of the current public and political situation in Azerbaijan?
[Bristow] Bilateral relations are at a rather good level. Everybody
knows that Great Britain is interested in the development of the oil
and gas sector in Azerbaijan and, as you may know, our companies are
very actively involved in developing local deposits and are investing
in these projects.
But our cooperation is not confined to the oil sector alone. Everybody
knows that we cooperate and maintain a close dialogue on issues
of global security. And ensuring the security of the [Baku-Ceyhan]
oil pipeline is an important component of such cooperation.
We also cooperate on issues of partnership between Azerbaijan and
NATO. This is a very important instrument for modernizing your
country’s security system. It also facilitates the development
of democratic reforms in Azerbaijan, which, incidentally, is
also promoted by cooperation with the European Union. This is an
instrument facilitating the transformation that helps Azerbaijan’s
closer integration into European institutions.
[Correspondent] It is believed that Great Britain is mainly represented
in Azerbaijan by oil companies and firms servicing oil contracts,
while the share of other businesses from your country is minute. Do
you agree with this and, if so, what do you think the reason is?
[Bristow] It is true that British business is mainly represented
in Azerbaijan in the oil and gas sector. As any British ambassador
to any country of the world, I would like companies from my country
to be represented more broadly. But the main reason for that is the
situation, e.g. business environment in Azerbaijan. Investment is a
very competitive business. So is trade. People invest in areas that
can eventually pay off. I think policy-makers in Azerbaijan should
have a close look at the situation in other countries and think
why investors come to other countries given a great alternative and
choice. And that will answer the question about ways of attracting
investors. In December last year, the Azerbaijani president attended a
London conference on attracting investment in the non-oil sector. The
conference was organized by the EBRD. I cannot say that we or anyone
else expected immediate results from this. It is necessary to put in
a lot of time and work hard to create the necessary environment in
the country to attract investment.
Investment opportunities in Azerbaijan
[Correspondent] In this case, what are Azerbaijan’s main problems
that impede the attraction of the investment we mentioned?
[Bristow] The most important issue is the regulation of the
situation. Any companies, local and foreign alike, first of all pay
attention to how much it would cost them to do business in a country.
There are many components here, including the way laws work,
export-import regulations, the level of taxation, how easy it is to
register a company, etc. What I said earlier is also important: they
look how easy it is for other companies and other countries making
investment to do business.
Another issue is that, rightly or wrongly, Azerbaijan is presented
in the world as one of the most corrupt countries. I would not like
to discuss if it is right or wrong, but this is the reality. If you
realize that you will have to pay bribes, it creates difficulties in
doing business. The third issue is the volume of the market where you
may work. Azerbaijan has a market of 8m people and, to be honest,
many of them are rather poor. And if you want to start a business,
you will have to assess who you will sell your product to: in the
country itself, in the region or on an even broader scale. In this
connection, I think the first issue on the agenda is the issue of
Azerbaijan’s closer economic integration into Europe. At present,
Azerbaijan’s trade relations with Russia are more traditional.
[Correspondent] Nevertheless, American companies are represented in
Azerbaijan more extensively. Are the British being more cautious? Or
is this a sign of typical British conservatism?
[Bristow] I would not say that American companies are much more
extensively represented in Azerbaijan than British ones. But your
remark about the conservatism of investors seems better to me. But
I would like to return to the issue of the business environment. If
you are a British investor, you work in more than 180 countries,
and you have to give them a good reason why you need to do business
precisely in that country.
Britain’s position on Iran
[Correspondent] Washington makes frequent statements about a possible
military operation against Iran. Unlike the Iraq campaign, London
has not expressed its support for this policy this time. What is the
position of Downing Street on the policy towards Iran?
[Bristow] I think we should look at facts. There is too much
speculation about this issue now. We have to clearly distinguish
between what has been said in the press, namely, the Western press,
and what has been said by the government. Obviously, I cannot speak on
behalf of the American government. Our position on the issue is very
clear. We are against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
[Correspondent] Do you think there is a danger that such weapons may
appear in Iran?
[Bristow] Many countries believe that Iran does have such
intentions. Three leading countries of Europe – Great Britain,
France and Germany – have been trying for a long time now to arrange
discussions with Iran on the issue and to obtain the international
go-ahead for such negotiations. We want to persuade Iran that the
long-term interests of all European countries and the region include
the issue of persuading Iran not to create such weapons. And the
approaches of the European Union countries and the USA to this issue
do not differ from each other.
Britain supports democratic processes in Azerbaijan
[Correspondent] There is a common belief that the USA is a major
factor influencing domestic political processes in the South Caucasus
countries. At the same time, the UK seems much less active. Is the
UK going to change the situation and strengthen its own role in the
democratization of processes under way in the region, in particular,
in Azerbaijan ahead of the parliamentary elections?
[Bristow] The UK and the EU quite strongly support democratic changes
in the Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. And it is neither my authority,
nor the authority of the British embassy altogether to facilitate
anybody’s victory in the election. We are interested in how the
election itself will be held, i.e. in the very process of holding
it. We are interested in the free and fair conduct of the November
elections, as it will be in the UK on 5 May. We all – both there and
here – need voters themselves to trust the results of the elections.
Both the investors we talked about and the countries interested in
Azerbaijan are first of all interested in stability. And part of this
stability flows through the establishment of institutions created on
the basis of the supremacy of the law and norms of democracy. Precisely
this postulate forms the basis of our talks with both the authorities
and the opposition and any person or organization that we discuss this
issue with. The main thing for us is not who will win the election,
but how and in what conditions it will be held. We want success
for this country and we want it to achieve success in the issue of
integration into Western institutions, and this should happen on the
basis of the supremacy of the law and democracy.
[Correspondent] Is London planning to come up with any proposals or
initiatives ahead of this parliamentary election on the democratization
of this process in Azerbaijan?
[Bristow] I do not think that any foreign state can create a democratic
situation in Azerbaijan. We can only help Azerbaijanis themselves to
create this democracy. As for the help, we are in favour of holding
an open and frank dialogue and discussing where and in what we see
problem, not because we enjoy criticizing but because we want to help
solve certain problems. This is the main part of what all the embassies
of EU member states do in Azerbaijan and the main part of our dialogue
with the authorities and political parties. The second issue of our
help is in the practical plane. This is what, for example, we did
in the last election, when we paid for a large number of transparent
ballot boxes. We intend to send in a large number of observers this
November. Again, not to discover a large number of violations but
because we hope that their presence will facilitate public monitoring
and will help people holding the election to solve problems should
they occur during the voting.
We are also going to invite some people to monitor the parliamentary
election which will be held in the UK on 5 May. We have a centuries-old
tradition of parliamentary democracy and want the largest number of
people to watch this process.
[Correspondent] It is believed that the British authorities, unlike
the US, do not criticize the Azerbaijani leadership concerning the
democratization of the country, yielding exclusively to their oil
interests, to be exact – the interests of BP. How would you comment
on such an opinion?
[Bristow] I have heard many statements concerning the UK’s interests
in and position on this country. What I can say is that the UK’s
interests, including the Kingdom’s commercial interests, are based on
stability in Azerbaijan, which, I believe, depends on the presence
of strong and democratic state institutions. Again, the strength of
these institutions depends on the supremacy of the law and democracy.
BP involved in business, not in politics
[Correspondent] In this case, let us carry on with the topic. People
in Azerbaijan usually call BP a second Azerbaijani government. A number
of incumbent MPs even accused the company of almost preparing a “velvet
revolution” in Baku. Where do you think these accusations come from?
[Bristow] This is just an opinion, but not the one I share. BP is
a very influential and important company in the UK, as well as in
Azerbaijan. But as far as I can judge, they are open and honest
enough and are engaged only in oil business, not politics. They
invest a lot of money and time in the Azerbaijani branch of the
company to succeed. They develop, extract and sell oil, but do not
make political changes.
[Correspondent] Why do you think [co-rapporteur of the Council of
Europe for Azerbaijan] Mr Andreas Gross wants to meet BP [Azerbaijan]
President Mr David Woodward every time he visits Baku?
[Bristow] Well, you should put this question to David Woodward himself
first. This man heads quite a large company, on which the economic
future of Azerbaijan depends, too. And it is absolutely normal that
anyone who wants to understand this country should understand what
BP and its staff are doing to develop local oil and gas resources.
Karabakh
[Correspondent] Let us switch to another topic important for
Azerbaijan. Some Britons visit Karabakh without even bothering
to inform the Azerbaijani authorities. In particular – and we have
reported this, an employee of the BBC, which is under the institutional
control of the British authorities, Steven Eke, visited Xankandi
[Stepanakert] and made clearly anti-Azerbaijani reports. How would
Britons feel if an employee of Azerbaijani state television made
such reports about the activities of the Irish Republic Army (IRA)
and broadcast them to the whole world?
[Bristow] I know that some Britons periodically visit Karabakh. The
British authorities do not watch what part of the world their citizens
visit as our legislation does not prohibit people from visiting any
territories. I have not heard whether Steven Eke made anti-Azerbaijani
reports or not. I know that the BBC’s policy is to create balanced
reports. Although the BBC World Service was established by our
Foreign Office, the government does not interfere in the policy of
this organization.
As for the assumption about a report by a representative of Azerbaijani
state television about the IRA, this sounds quite interesting. For many
years, British diplomacy in the USA raised the issue of some American
Irish people supporting the IRA, and this was a very unpleasant
aspect for us and a difficult issue to solve. But there is a very
free society in the USA and people do what they want to within the
framework of US laws. It was quite difficult for a long time for our
government to explain why we were right. That was one of the main
components of our diplomacy in the USA. But a lot changed with the
establishment of a peace process in Northern Ireland.
[Correspondent] The UK, like other European countries, refuses to
recognize Armenia as an aggressor. What is the reason for that and
how strong an impact does the “Islamic factor” have on your position?
[Bristow] Let us see how the UK approaches the issue of admitting
Turkey, which is a Muslim country, to the EU. Our country definitely
supports Turkey’s accession to the EU. I do not think that the Muslim
factor is present in such an issue for us altogether.
As for the recognition of Armenia as an aggressor, I want to note that
the UK, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, was involved
in compiling the four resolutions on the Karabakh settlement. The
essence of these resolutions already speaks for itself. Our position is
that we support the resolution of this conflict within the framework
of international law. We support the activities of the [OSCE] Minsk
Group aimed at helping the sides to find a solution. It is important
for us to find peaceful solutions to this conflict.
[Correspondent] Official Baku does not rule out a possible military
solution to the problem of the occupied Azerbaijani territories if
political opportunities to resolve the conflict are exhausted. What
may London’s reaction be like if Azerbaijan decides to liberate the
Armenian-occupied territories in a military way?
[Bristow] I think that currently, this is a hypothetical question as
the Azerbaijani leadership is actively involved in the negotiating
process. And the British leadership is doing everything possible to
support the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in the issue of achieving
peace through negotiations. The question is that 10 years ago, the
sides agreed to cease fire. In my view, the main reason for this was
the fact that they realized that the cease-fire and the conclusion of
a peace agreement met both sides’ national interests more than the
continuing war. And in this regard, I do not see any changes over
the past period.
[Correspondent] But the statements that the military option for solving
this conflict is not ruled out either was made by Commander-in-Chief
and President Ilham Aliyev. What do you think about such statements?
[Bristow] I live in Azerbaijan and realize the entire importance of
this problem for Azerbaijan and what pressure the presence of this
problem exerts. All I can say is that before making such decisions,
any leader should asses all risks and the price that will have to be
paid for them.
[Correspondent] In any case, will you stay aside or will Britain try
to hold Azerbaijan back from such a step?
[Bristow] This is another hypothetical question. The situation we have
now is an active negotiating peace process, which the Azerbaijani
leadership fully supports. And we, for our part, fully support this
position and want to see a peaceful resolution of the problem.
[Correspondent] Let us then go on to the last topic. There was a very
unpleasant situation recently when a British citizen, a ship captain,
insulted the Azerbaijani flag by his actions. How would you comment
on this?
[Bristow] I do not know all the details of this incident, but I realize
that the Azerbaijani authorities are dealing with this. The incident
took place in Azerbaijan, and the local authorities should find out
exactly what happened, and this is their right. But for my part, I
want to note that if the incident really took place the way it was
described, then I, as a representative of the British government,
express my regret in this connection. And this should in no way be
assessed as the attitude of the British government or citizens to
Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis.
[Correspondent] Does the British embassy inquire now about the
progress of the ongoing investigation into the incident, and how
would you act if the facts were confirmed?
[Bristow] The Azerbaijani authorities did not try to involve us in
the investigation into this incident. Nobody appealed to us in this
connection. Bit if they find it necessary, they can do it any time.
[Correspondent] Thank you very much for the interview, Mr Ambassador.