Foreign

Home page

Foreign

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan: Sometimes the expressions used in the reports of the Department of State impede our local activities â€“ PHOTO

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan: Sometimes the expressions used in the reports of the Department of State impede our local activities â€“ <font color=red>PHOTO </font>

19 September 2011 11:06 (UTC +04:00)

Hidayat Orujov said there is a tradition of relations between the US ambassadors to Azerbaijan and the State Committee and it will be continued.

Matthew Bryza said Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of the US.
â€œAzerbaijan is a friend of America, and America is a friend of Azerbaijan. I will do my best to draw the attention of everybody in the US to this position,â€ he said.

Matthew Bryza underlined the opinion formed in the US state strategy.
â€œReligion must not be politicized in the state-religion relations. If any state exports its religious policy to other country, the local people must unambiguously say â€œwe have got our own religion, we have got our state-religion relationsâ€. US must support the will of the people. Sometimes while preparing a report the Department of State uses the expressions that impede our local activities. My goal as an ambassador is to offer opportunities for good and comprehensible relations between our agencies,â€ he said.

According to Hidayat Orujov, politicization of religion has become bitter tendency in some countries.
â€œThe principle of â€œReligion is separate from the stateâ€ is indeed effective in Azerbaijan. Religious extremism is inadmissible in the 21st century. Terrorism can not be supported by religion. Blaming religions, especially Islam for terrorism must be regarded as injustice and illiteracy. We share the views of our American friends,â€ he said.

The sides exchanged views on the cooperation in the field of human rights.

The report on religious freedom released by the Department of State on September 12, which covers July-December, 2010, contains some critical remarks concerning Azerbaijan.