Friends or no friends?
It is hard to believe but even one word can spoil the relations between people, and one person can spoil the relations between the states. It seems 'someone' is interested to deteriorate the strategic relations between the United States and Azerbaijan.
In an attempt to blacken Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Helsinki Commission of the U.S. Congress Christopher Smith submitted the bill on “Azerbaijan Democracy Act of 2015” to the Congress on December 16.
The anti-Azerbaijan legislation calls to revise relations between the U.S. and Azerbaijan, to apply visa sanctions against officials of Azerbaijan in connection with the country's position in the field of human rights, and other 'violations' that Congressman Smith fixes.
Analyzing the document even without strong political background one can observe the true traces of the Armenian lobby armed against Azerbaijan and deeply committed to cool the relations between Baku and Washington. Unfortunately they involve many influential politicians to realize such dirty intentions.
Before submitting this bill full of slander to the Congress, Mr. Smith would be better to think twice as it concerns the state interests of the two countries, first of all. As a young democracy Azerbaijan is always open to criticism targeting constructive cooperation, but how to do with groundless attacks on a young independent nation?
Azerbaijan and the United States enjoy friendly relations based on mutual confidence and reliable partnership. Azerbaijan has always felt the U.S. support in its international activities, independence and democratic development. The country is keen to continue its path of development and is open to cooperation on equal terms, without infringing its independent policy.
The intensified attacks indeed have their ultimate goal, and no one in Azerbaijan believes them to be sincere and unbiased.
After regaining its independence in 1991 Azerbaijan indeed had many difficulties in the system of international relations, but could reserve its dignity and face. Double standards is unfortunately the harsh reality of the contemporary world. However, the major intention of Baku has always been to increase the number of friendly nations and expand the interaction on a pleasant platform.
But how to turn blind eye to the unfair judgments?
In response to the anti-Azerbaijani bill by Smith, Rovshan Rzayev, deputy chairman of the legal policy and state-building committee of the Azerbaijani parliament, member of the Board of Directors of Azerbaijani Community of the Nagorno-Karabakh Region of Azerbaijan Public Union, prepared a draft resolution “On the state of human rights in the U.S.”
The Azerbaijani parliament plans to take adequate steps if the U.S. Congress adopts the bill presented by Smith.
The document emphasizes that the United States itself, which regularly prepares reports on the situation of human rights in the world, by all means avoid accession to the main international human rights agreements.
The country sees increase in the racial and religious discrimination, system of total control over society, restrictions exerted on freedom of speech and the press. Since the end of the 20th century, the U.S. has accelerated its interference with the internal affairs of independent states on the pretext of the fight against terrorism and introduction of democratic standards, according to the bill.
The document in particular calls to end cooperation with the U.S. in trade, energy and military spheres, in the sphere of security, to suspend the country’s participation in the operations in Afghanistan as part of ISAF, to prohibit the transportation of the U.S. military and other cargoes through Azerbaijan’s territory.
Ali Ahmadov, the Executive Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan party and Deputy Prime Minister, voiced his regret that certain groups and some officials in the U.S. are doing their best to spoil relations between Azerbaijan and the United States.
"We are not supporting the deterioration of relations with the United States. We are cooperating in a number of areas," he underscored.
He noted that the mere appearance of such an initiative is a concern, therefore the Azerbaijani citizens, including members of parliament are for taking adequate measures.
Tension is quite expected in the international relations, but who benefits of that should be the major concern. Despite drafting the sick imagination it would be better for Smith and his supporters to study in depth the enormous development that the nation achieved since restoration of independence after nearly 70 years of Soviet oppression.