Azernews.Az

NATO hopes the October presidential election in Azerbaijan will be democratic, its official has said.
The NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, Jean Francois Bureau, was speaking at a conference, "Democratic Elections and Azerbaijan's Euro-Atlantic Integration", which started in Baku on Tuesday.
"I am confident that the Azerbaijani people will have the opportunity to make their choice," he said.
Bureau voiced content over the country's cooperation with the alliance. He said this collaboration was part of its Euro-Atlantic integration.
The NATO official went on to say that Azerbaijan made considerable accomplishments during the implementation of the alliance's Individual Partnership Plan (IPAP), whose first stage has already drawn to a close. "We hope that Azerbaijan will be one of NATO's most successful partners," Bureau added.
Turkish Ambassador in Baku Hulusi Kilic expressed confidence in the conduct of the upcoming elections in line with democratic standards. He said this would bolster democratic development in the South Caucasus region and improve Azerbaijan's image on the international stage.
The Azerbaijani representative at NATO Kamil Khasiyev said his country was attaching great importance to its relations with the military bloc. Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to join the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
"Our relations with the alliance are currently on upward trend," Khasiyev said.
US Ambassador Anne Derse said in her remarks that Washington supported Azerbaijan's Euro-Atlantic integration.
The ambassador said the U.S. was ready to assist in turning Azerbaijan into a regional leader for democratic development. She said achieving the goal was possible but much remains to be done to make that happen.
Derse highlighted that 2008 is an election year both in the U.S. and Azerbaijan. She said Azerbaijan's forthcoming election was a good opportunity to advance toward that goal by bolstering such values as democracy and the rule of law.
Derse said that in any democratic country, the conduct of free and fair elections entails not only vote count but also granting citizens the right of free choice. "Voters are entitled to the expression of critical views. Citizens' right to assemble freely should therefore be ensured."
The envoy said that in a democracy, criticism of government officials and state policy is not deemed as treason. "This is an important part of the democratic process."
Derse pointed out the particular role of the media in securing democratic elections. "Free media should not serve as a tool of the authorities, political parties and leaders," she said.
NATO and the Turkish embassy provided assistance in organizing the two-day conference. The event is attended by over 100 representatives, including officials and international experts.