Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan’s Russian community has set out a goal to be actively involved in the country’s political life, says a lawmaker who has been re-elected its leader for another five-year term.
"We plan to be actively represented in the future in political parties, certainly, primarily, in the [ruling] New Azerbaijan Party, and stand both in parliamentary and local elections," Mikhail Zabelin told the press Friday following his election to the post at the community’s third congress. He emphasized that Azerbaijan has no law violating the rights of ethnic minorities and all citizens enjoy the right of suffrage and being elected.
The MP said campaigns for the December municipal elections have begun, but Azerbaijan’s Russian population remains somewhat out of the process.
Zabelin noted that Russian youths are poorly involved in the country’s socio-political life, due to their poor knowledge of the Azeri language, and are unable to fully integrate into society. The community chairman said projects are in the making to improve the situation.
"It is necessary to be fluent in Azeri, the state language, to partake in the country’s political life. First of all, with me included, Azerbaijan’s entire Russian population, and youths in particular, will begin profoundly learning the Azeri language. Otherwise, participating in the country’s socio-political life is meaningless."
The Russian language is widely spoken in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic which is home to many ethnic groups.*