Domestic

Domestic

Department chief of Presidential Administration: â€œWe expect official statement by the Iranian sideâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

Department chief of Presidential Administration: â€œWe expect official statement by the Iranian sideâ€ â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW </font>

23 May 2012 16:36 (UTC +04:00)

- â€œSing for Democracyâ€ events were finalized in Baku. How did this campaign mark for Azerbaijan?

- Indeed after the decisions on Eurovision 2012 song contest, some anti-Azerbaijan forces and organizations became active. Armenian organizations and organizations which joined the spheres financed by them, as well as one-two Azerbaijani citizens represented these organizations support this anti-Azerbaijan propaganda. They support some international centers which conduct anti-Azerbaijan propaganda. Therefore I think founders of these organizations and the people joined them will understand soon that they were involved in their anti-Azerbaijan policy and support the foreign intelligence organizations and will leave this activity.

- How do you value the unauthorized actions by the Public Chamber in this period?

- We regret for that. The opposition parties behave so because they can not be involved in more positive activity to show themselves to the foreign citizens and public community, mass media, policy-making centers abroad. They want to show their existence. They can not win the support of Azerbaijani voters with such activity. If they consider that they will come to power with the support of foreign organizations, which conduct slander campaign against Azerbaijan, they are mistaken.

- How do you comment on reports that Swedish ambassador to Azerbaijan offered to Swedenâ€™s representative at the Eurovision song contest to make political statements?

- Unfortunately there are some attempts of politicization. The musical event can not be politicized. The attempt of party representatives to establish such communications through the musical contest is always condemned and will be condemned.

- Will you protest the Swedish side concerning it?

- I donâ€™t know details of this issue. The press reports show that the political party representatives had certain goals to establish communication with the Eurovision singers. We condemn this action if it has the purpose of politicization.

- How do you value the NATO Chicago Declaration, which mentioned the Nagorno Karabakh conflict as well?

- We value it positively and objectively. NATO is an influential organization which participates in international peacemaking processes. We think that NATOâ€™s opinion on the South Caucasus conflicts will be considered as a norm of international law alongside with the OSCE principles for the solution of Nagorno Karabakh problem. NATO recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and confirmed the fact of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia. It shows that Armenian side and its supporters are wrong in their so-called principle that â€œNagorno Karabakh problem can not be solved within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijanâ€ and this â€œprincipleâ€ doesnâ€™t coincide with the position of influential international organizations.

- APFP chairman Ali Karimli said that â€œcriticism and insult against the religious leader who was accepted by the millions of Azerbaijanis in Iran is contrary to our national interestsâ€.

-No Iranian religious leader was insulted in Azerbaijan. The government and society of Azerbaijan approached Iranian religious leader with respect. But at the same time, the anti-Azerbaijan activity of Iranian religious leaders was clearly notified. Recently several Iranian religious forces joined the baseless anti-Azerbaijan activity and stood in this work behind. They want to spot the international event in Azerbaijan. They want to slander the people of Azerbaijan in the international arena including at the level of Iran. We protested this slander. About holding of portrait of Iranian religious leaders in the picket outside the Iranâ€™s embassy in Azerbaijan is challenge for Iran to stop aid to Armenia and prevent anti-Azerbaijan activity. There is no any slander and insult.

-We want to comment the issue on recall of Iranâ€™s ambassador to Azerbaijan â€¦

-To recall its ambassador and hold the consultations is normal. It is a normal procedure. It doest need to dramatize. The dramatic is that several forces of Iran propagandize baseless anti-Azerbaijan policy. They must immediately stop this propaganda. Iran hasnâ€™t responded yet the official statements of Azerbaijan on Iran, its interests, approach to this country in the region and relations of international arena with this country. We are waiting for these explanations by the Iranian side.

-The fate of two Azerbaijani poets detained in Iran was not officially clarified. What are your expectations on it?

-Unfortunately we couldnâ€™t clarify this issue, because there is no information. We consider that such cases damage the relations between the two countries.