Cekuta:Azerbaijan’s development as strong, prosperous country in US interests
Trend interviews US ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta
Question: "Azerbaijan Democracy Act” caused for deep concern in Azerbaijan. Individual initiative of US Congressmen, of course, does in no way reflect the position of US Administration. But we have not seen the official reaction of United States Administration and respectively, US Embassy on that account. How you would explain this silence?
Answer: As the Embassy has said publicly, we do
not comment on draft legislation. This is the usual practice for us
because of the separation of powers within the United States
system. The legislature – or Congress – is separate from the
Executive Branch, which includes the President, the State
Department and other departments (what would be ministries here in
Azerbaijan), and the judiciary are all separate from each other,
something that was set out in our Constitution. That said, I have
seen a lot of speculation in local media that reflects a
misunderstanding of our legislative process. Our embassy has
provided an overview of how draft bills get introduced by a member
of Congress, get reviewed, and considered by members of the
different legislative bodies and so forth to our social media
accounts, and I encourage anyone interested in understanding the
facts to review that information.
Q: It is widely shared view that this draft
act is a product of ANCA and Armenian lobby organizations’ efforts
in US to harm US-Azerbaijan relations. The recent developments and
visits between Baku and Washington may probably cause for their
concern. It reminds us 907 Section which was considered an issue
negatively affecting the US interests in Azerbaijan. It shows that
ethnic lobby groups in US can challenge the national security
interests of United States by promoting certain legislative acts
and narrow agenda. How you will comment on that?
A: In keeping with our practice of not commenting
on draft legislation, I'm not going to engage in speculation.
However I would again put this in the perspective of the overall
legislative process. This is a bill introduced by a member of
Congress, something that any member can do. Every year, thousands
of such bills are introduced, reflecting the concerns of the
Members of Congress and their constituents. So far this year, over
7,000 bills have been introduced by members of the two houses of
our Congress, but given the various factors at play, just over 100
were approved by both houses, signed by the President, and enacted
into law. Our system is different from that in other countries and
I would again encourage anyone interested to look into the process
in the United States by which draft bills move through
Congress.
Q: We do believe that bilateral relations
between Azerbaijan and United States are highly valued by
Washington as well. In geopolitically key region Azerbaijan remains
partner of US, contributes to global fight against terrorism.
Shoulder to shoulder American and Azerbaijan soldiers served in
Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. As a majority Muslim society there is
no elements of anti-Americanism in Azerbaijan. In this light of
this draft bill how do you see the perspectives of partnership
between the two countries?
A: Let me be very clear, The United States
continues to place a high value on our relations with Azerbaijan.
It is important that we have a strong, positive relationship with
Azerbaijan. To maintain, to strengthen that relationship and to
realize the maximum benefits our partnership can bring, both sides
need to feel comfortable raising their concerns with the other.
Both sides also need to trust that the other is approaching our
relationship with respect, with good will, and from an honest
desire for mutual benefit, even when dealing with issues where we
may not agree. All countries, including the United States, benefit
from having an open, ongoing conversation about the challenges we
face both internally and internationally. I can assure you that is
the case for the United States, and from my discussions with
Azerbaijani officials, I believe the same is true from their
side.
In light of that, I want to flag something you've heard many
times, but that bears repeating. Our cooperation with Azerbaijan is
broad. It covers economic, security, and of course, democracy
interests. The reason I keep stressing all these points is because
for Azerbaijan to be strong, it needs to be strong in all of those
areas.
In your previous question, you mentioned U.S. national security
interests. I want to stress that it is in the U.S. interest for
Azerbaijan to develop as a strong, stable, democratic, independent,
prosperous country, just as it is in Azerbaijan's own desire to do
so. In a region faced with uncertainties we see today, this has
perhaps never been more true.
So we continue to engage on all fronts. Our security cooperation
focuses on helping to make Azerbaijan more resilient to emerging
threats, and in doing so helping to enhance security in the region
and beyond. A strong economy is the backbone of a strong country,
so we are excited about opportunities to support Azerbaijan's
economic diversification, including its efforts to enhance the
transportation sector as a critical link in a revitalized east-west
trade corridor. And linked to all of these efforts is our continued
engagement with Azerbaijan to strengthen the rule of law and
democratic institutions, to support the kind of vibrant civil
society that can partner with the government in achieving those
shared goals of stability, prosperity, and independence.
Q: After Bern meeting of Presidents on
December 19th, how do you see the perspectives of negotiations
based on the current proposals as it was referred in OSCE MG
co-chairs statement?
A: As Ambassador Warlick, the U.S. Co-Chair, has
said, it was important for the Presidents to talk face-to-face and
clarify their positions. They discussed a range of issues,
including violence along the Line of Contact and Armenia-Azerbaijan
border, and proposals regarding a settlement. Although there were
no breakthroughs in Bern, it is important to note that the
Co-Chairs and the sides recognized the value of the Presidents’
dialogue and the Co-chairs will work to bring them together again
in the coming year. The Co-Chairs will continue their work with the
Foreign Ministers on proposals regarding a settlement, on measures
to reduce the risk of violence, and on programs to promote dialogue
between the communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. As U.S. Ambassador to
Azerbaijan, I fully support the efforts of the Co-Chairs to help
the sides reach a much-needed settlement to the conflict.
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