Adil Baghirov: "The potential of strengthening relations between Baku and Washington is great, especially because the United States wants to improve relations with the Muslim world"

The further development of relations of the new US administration with Azerbaijan will primarily depend on Azerbaijan itself, its allies and opponents in the region, as well as the Azerbaijani (Turkic) and Armenian diaspora in the United States, said Adil Baghirov, co-chair and general director of US Azeris Network (USAN), speaking about further relations between United States and Azerbaijan after Obama's inauguration.

"The fact of appointment of H.Clinton. J.Johns, closeness of gen.C.Powell and even senator McCain (who became a semiofficial adviser of Obama on international security issues) as well as a loss in positions of Armenian lobby in the US Congress, arises out optimism. The potential is great, especially because the United States tend to improve the relations with the Muslim world, to make Iran disavow attempts to create nuclear weapon, establish order in Afghanistan and Iraq and so on", said Baghirov.

He noted that USAN has already started to strengthen interaction with the new administration for its further information about Azerbaijan and the situation in the region already during the elections and on the inauguration day it released a letter of congratulation to the new president in the most prestigious newspaper "Washington post" in its special edition, where it voiced readiness for cooperation with the new administration and the congress and also reminded about the most important problem of Azerbaijan and all Azerbaijanis - the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno Karabakh.

As for the actions planned to be held in 2009 for the development of the US-Azerbaijani relations, Baghirov said:

"We are planning to hold an annual USAN conference in the second half of the year in Washington, take part in the annual Turkic festival in front of the White House, hold several protests, meetings, seminars and lectures on Khojaly massacres, occupation of Shusha, Azerbaijani genocide in March. We are also cooperating with all important Azerbaijan and Turkish organizations in a joint conduction of measures in different US cities, such as New York, Chicago, Huston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, as most USAN members of directors board are leaders of local and regional diaspora organizations throughout the United States, which allows us to cover great areas in the country".

He said they also fulfill their utmost mission of direct work with the Congress, enabling all diaspora members with an opportunity to voice their opinion on almost any issue via their e-system.

"Last year our members sent 60,000 letters and faxes. We hope that this year we will repeatedly hit our own records on the number of letters sent. We have about 15,000 active members, which is a record, making us the biggest Azerbaijani and Turkic organization in the United States. We will continue publications in the US press. We also assist to the most active and talented Azerbaijani students in gaining experience in the Congress, thus, laying a foundation for the political activeness and the influence of our diaspora in the long-term perspective", concluded he.

/Day.Az/