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Presidential Administration official reveals spheres where Azerbaijani Government is exposed to pressure

24 May 2013 14:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramil Mammadli – APA. “The opposition asks why we don’t do what the U.S. says. Bringing the opposition together, the U.S. Ambassador tells them that they spoke with the authorities, but the authorities did not do what they had said. Azerbaijan's independent policy is based on the will of the people and national interests. If we retreat from independence, we will sacrifice the interests of the state,” said chief of socio-political department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov addressing the seminar of the Youth Union of New Azerbaijan Party on “Role of the youth in social-political life of the state”, APA reports.

Hasanov also touched on the demands of some states before Azerbaijan: “We meet the needs of Azerbaijan by exporting the energy resources of the Caspian Sea. Furthermore, we transport oil of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to foreign countries through the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan plays the role of transit. On average Azerbaijan generates up to $ 1 billion due to transit. Some states opposing to us, want to carry out the transit themselves.”

Hasanov noted that some states have not given up their intentions to deploy troops in Azerbaijan: “We ask if their intention will help to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, ensure the territorial integrity of our country and prevent the violation of the territorial integrity in the future. They say that they don’t interfere in this issue. Then why do we have to give our territory to any foreign country for the deployment of troops? As Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline is not sufficient, we are constructing TANAP. Some states ask why. Because they have interests in this. They reproach President Ilham Aliyev. Thus, they want to return the atmosphere that existed in 1991-93, to assemble, hold protests, close roads, attack shops wherever they want and close boulevard. They want such a society. Why do they say that they are not satisfied with the democracy in Azerbaijan? Because we demand a responsible democracy. We say that the human rights must be balanced. If a group of people want to hold a rally where another group is resting, the balance must be found. The rallies should be held where the people's right to rest are not violated.”

Hasanov said that there are still pressures regarding the freedom of press, freedom of information and freedom of speech.