Baku vows to react if US plays "games" of pro-Armenian forces
Biased step taken by US Congressman Chris Smith is not a stance
of the US officials and the White House, said Ali Hasanov,
Azerbaijani president’s aide for public and political affairs.
“In such issues, Azerbaijan gives priority not to the stance of
individual pro-Armenian politicians, but to the official position
of the partner countries and builds its policy on the basis of that
position,” Hasanov told media on December 21.
“That congressman [Smith] is known well in Azerbaijan,” he said.
“We know well that since early 2000 he has been continuously making
pro-Armenian statements and initiatives trying to cast a shadow to
relations between Azerbaijan and the US at any cost, acting not as
a Congress representative of New Jersey, from where he was elected,
but as that from Armenia’s Abovian region.”
Hasanov further said Smith is one of the pro-Armenian congressmen
zealously trying to have the US recognize the so-called Armenian
genocide.
“Throughout this year, he has several times made statements on the
necessity of recognizing the “genocide”, and has even signed a
pleading appeal to the US president,” noted Hasanov.
“In short, my attitude towards the bills prepared by that person is
the same as towards his reputation,” he said.
“The main thing is that so far Washington hasn’t attached any
significance to the initiatives taken by Smith either on the
“Armenian genocide” or against Azerbaijan,” he said, adding that
therefore this issue shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Hasanov also expressed hope that Smith’s recent act will also be
rejected by the US officials and the bill he prepared will go down
in history as one of the unfulfilled wishes of the pro-Armenian
forces.
“Actually, each country has a politician like Smith,” noted
Hasanov.
He said in Azerbaijan there are people who believe the US
approaches the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from a pro-Armenian
position, sometimes taking a biased stance with regard to
Azerbaijan, falling under influence of the Armenian diaspora and
lobby.
“They demand the Azerbaijani government to put an end to the
strategic partnership with the US, and give an adequate response to
the biased approach to our country,” he said.
“But, I’d like to note that we are interested in developing
relations with the US, just like with other countries, and we don’t
allow certain challenges to harm the bilateral relations,” added
the official.
“However, if the US officially supports this biased bill,
succumbing to the “game” of the pro-Armenian forces, Azerbaijani
government will give the necessary response, no doubt,” he
said.
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