Analyst downbeat on US interest in Azeri democracy
A US-based expert has claimed the new administration
in the United States was unlikely to focus much attention on
democratic development in Azerbaijan and other countries due to
major economic challenges at home.
Bulent Aliriza, the director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, has told Radio Liberty that the reason for that was the profound economic crisis that has besieged the U.S. Therefore, the Obama administration`s main task is currently to lead the country out of its economic crisis.
The expert added that the Bush administration had tried to step up democratic development in the Middle East and wanted to create democratic governments in Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other countries with authoritarian regimes. In recent years, however, the US administration reviewed its policies, which led to serious concerns within democratic circles in the countries in question. "The same holds true for Azerbaijan and other former Soviet countries," he said.
Aliriza said the lessened attention to democratic developments in Azerbaijan and other countries should not be seen as a lack of confidence on Obama`s part. In fact, the new president is even more confident of democratic successes than his predecessor. "However, the economic crisis in the U.S. is so deep that it is hard to effectively deal with such important problems at the same time," he said.
Bulent Aliriza, the director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, has told Radio Liberty that the reason for that was the profound economic crisis that has besieged the U.S. Therefore, the Obama administration`s main task is currently to lead the country out of its economic crisis.
The expert added that the Bush administration had tried to step up democratic development in the Middle East and wanted to create democratic governments in Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other countries with authoritarian regimes. In recent years, however, the US administration reviewed its policies, which led to serious concerns within democratic circles in the countries in question. "The same holds true for Azerbaijan and other former Soviet countries," he said.
Aliriza said the lessened attention to democratic developments in Azerbaijan and other countries should not be seen as a lack of confidence on Obama`s part. In fact, the new president is even more confident of democratic successes than his predecessor. "However, the economic crisis in the U.S. is so deep that it is hard to effectively deal with such important problems at the same time," he said.
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