Azernews.Az

The 400,000 people-strong Azeri community in the United States has stated its plans to back Republican presidential hopeful John McCain at the 2008 elections.
The US Azeris Network (USAN) has appealed to Azeris to rally support for the senator, a candidate with extensive experience on international issues who would best represent their interests.
The Network decided to give preference to Senator McCain after studying the political platforms of all presidential hopefuls. Azeris believe his candidacy meets their interests for several reasons. McCain has extensive experience and charisma on international relations, energy and security issues, and is well-versed on the South Caucasus and Caspian regions as well as the former Soviet republics as a whole. Azeris in the U.S. believe the senator observes the principles of international law in the resolution of ethnic-territorial conflicts and does not compromise US interests for the sake of those of separate lobbyist groups.
Compared to Democratic candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, McCain is considered a pro-Azerbaijan politician. The Republican lawmaker is also seen as a supporter of rather friendly relations with Azerbaijan's close political ally Turkey.
McCain has been representing the state of Arizona in Congress since 1986. He had nominated his candidacy for the 2000 presidential election as well.
The move comes shortly after Armenians in the U.S. said they would cast their votes for Obama, but not for Hillary Clinton. The statement came after Obama pledged to recognize the alleged genocide of Armenians and called on Congress to pass a relevant resolution. Clinton followed up by saying a few days later that she would also recognize the alleged genocide if elected.
Armenians say Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million people in the early 20th century, a claim strongly denied by Turkey.
During a recent meeting with the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) representatives, Barack Obama said that if elected president, he would work to end what he described as blockade of Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan and to ensure Armenia's security. The African American candidate had also protested the recall of the former US ambassador to Armenia John Evans, ANCA said.
The unexpected recall of Evans was caused by his utterances that ran counter to Washington's stance. At a meeting with the Armenian community in California in February 2005, he said it was high time to recognize the so-called "genocide of Armenians". Evans's recall caused outcry among Armenians in the U.S. as well as in Armenia proper.
Armenians claim that the election hopeful had also promised he would work toward resolution of the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict "based on the principle of self-determination".
The Armenian side is looking for the principle to be applied to Upper Garabagh, an Azeri region under Armenian occupation, while Azerbaijan has repeatedly said any solution of the conflict is acceptable strictly within the country's territorial integrity.
USAN's statement represents the first official appeal of the Azeri community ahead of a presidential poll in the U.S. At the previous election, Azeris informally stated their support for incumbent president George Bush.
The reasons for Azeris' pledge to support McCain at the polls are clear. First of all, he is a leader among Republican hopefuls, and Azeris are looking to forge close ties with a single candidate. Secondly, the Armenian community in the U.S. has historically maintained warm relations with the Democrats, which prompts Azeris to give support to their rival McCain.
McCain is seen by many as a likely candidate to win the race for the White House due to his proper political course. The senator has managed to gain the backing on both sides of the political realm throughout his career and is the only Republican nominee that is held in deep respect by the Democrats.
McCain and Hillary Clinton are seen as the frontrunners in the primaries representing the two opposing US political parties.
On Tuesday, US voters cast their ballots in what is seen as the critical phase in the presidential nominating race so far referred to as Super Tuesday. The 24 states where the polling took place account for over half the delegates who will choose the candidates for November's election.
McCain is leading his main challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, in the Republican race. But Democratic rivals Senators Clinton and Obama are involved in a close race that is likely to go further.
The Republican candidates also include former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Latest polls say McCain enjoys nearly 50% of voters' support.
Among Democratic hopefuls, New York senator Hillary Clinton, with 47% support, has a 4% lead over Obama, the Illinois senator who hopes to become the United States' first black president.