Official discontent with US ties
A senior Azerbaijani official has given a low
assessment of his country`s relations with the United States.
Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department at the President`s Office, told a local news agency that Washington is failing to take into account Baku`s interests and Azerbaijan`s Western and European partners also do not properly appreciate their partnership with the South Caucasus republic, which is now carrying out large-scale international projects.
"This unfair attitude toward Azerbaijan is clearly seen - from Section 907, the Millennium Challenge, weaponry issues in the Jackson-Venik amendment to other matters," Mammadov said. He noted that, instead, the "endless love" of Western nations for Armenia is in evidence. The US government has provided aid worth up to $2 billion to Armenia, which is hostile to Azerbaijan.
Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act restricts US assistance to the Azerbaijani government while the Millennium Challenge program, launched by the Bush administration in 2002, targets assisting developing countries with good governance practices.
"It looks as though Western countries have only one concern in the region - to patronize Armenia and do it from all sides. We are astonished by this. I regret this when I look for an answer to this question," Mammadov said.
Further, he noted that Baku`s relations with the West, the European Union and NATO remain unchanged and are developing. "But we don`t want to be forced into betrayal."
Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department at the President`s Office, told a local news agency that Washington is failing to take into account Baku`s interests and Azerbaijan`s Western and European partners also do not properly appreciate their partnership with the South Caucasus republic, which is now carrying out large-scale international projects.
"This unfair attitude toward Azerbaijan is clearly seen - from Section 907, the Millennium Challenge, weaponry issues in the Jackson-Venik amendment to other matters," Mammadov said. He noted that, instead, the "endless love" of Western nations for Armenia is in evidence. The US government has provided aid worth up to $2 billion to Armenia, which is hostile to Azerbaijan.
Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act restricts US assistance to the Azerbaijani government while the Millennium Challenge program, launched by the Bush administration in 2002, targets assisting developing countries with good governance practices.
"It looks as though Western countries have only one concern in the region - to patronize Armenia and do it from all sides. We are astonished by this. I regret this when I look for an answer to this question," Mammadov said.
Further, he noted that Baku`s relations with the West, the European Union and NATO remain unchanged and are developing. "But we don`t want to be forced into betrayal."
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