Anne Derse: No secret mission behind Obama campaigner’s visit
US Ambassador in Baku Anne Derse has dismissed
allegations that "a secret mission" was behind a recent visit to
Azerbaijan by David Plouffe, the former campaign manager for US
President Barack Obama.
Some local experts maintained that Obama’s administration had sought to deliver a message to the Azerbaijani authorities through Plouffe. However, it was later revealed that the political expert’s personal visit paid on Monday had been organized by AVCIYA, an NGO close to official circles. Afterwards, media reports circulated that Plouffe had been invited by the Azerbaijani government in order to forge ties with the new White House team, emphasizing that the former campaign manager was hosted in Baku on the highest level, and was received by President Ilham Aliyev.
Amb. Derse said she was familiar with the reports concerning Plouffe’s visit and they represented nothing but speculations.
"David Plouffe merely managed President Barack Obama’s election campaign at the time. He is a rank-and-file citizen, and he visited Azerbaijan in this capacity."
Derse noted that while delivering a lecture at the Western University, Plouffe sent a number of messages to Azerbaijan which pertained to democratic development. "During the lecture, he delivered messages on civil participation in governance, the use of technologies and improving the voting process."
Plouffe does not hold any post under the Obama administration, but he went down in U.S. history as an expert who managed to gather the biggest amount of funds during Obama’s presidential campaign. President Obama praised his efforts in an address to the nation after winning the recent election and called him one of the most charismatic election specialists America has ever seen.
Some local experts maintained that Obama’s administration had sought to deliver a message to the Azerbaijani authorities through Plouffe. However, it was later revealed that the political expert’s personal visit paid on Monday had been organized by AVCIYA, an NGO close to official circles. Afterwards, media reports circulated that Plouffe had been invited by the Azerbaijani government in order to forge ties with the new White House team, emphasizing that the former campaign manager was hosted in Baku on the highest level, and was received by President Ilham Aliyev.
Amb. Derse said she was familiar with the reports concerning Plouffe’s visit and they represented nothing but speculations.
"David Plouffe merely managed President Barack Obama’s election campaign at the time. He is a rank-and-file citizen, and he visited Azerbaijan in this capacity."
Derse noted that while delivering a lecture at the Western University, Plouffe sent a number of messages to Azerbaijan which pertained to democratic development. "During the lecture, he delivered messages on civil participation in governance, the use of technologies and improving the voting process."
Plouffe does not hold any post under the Obama administration, but he went down in U.S. history as an expert who managed to gather the biggest amount of funds during Obama’s presidential campaign. President Obama praised his efforts in an address to the nation after winning the recent election and called him one of the most charismatic election specialists America has ever seen.
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