Senior Azerbaijani official: Freedom House just tries to survive financial crisis

The Freedom House in its annual report on 'Freedom in the World -2009' called Azerbaijan not free state, while Armenia, where the situation with freedom of speech in numerous reports of similar international organizations is estimated much worse is classified as 'partially free' country. Can the Freedom House's report be considered objective?

Evaluation of Freedom House is a subjective assessment of a group of people who work on the order from the outside. One can not call such an assessment of the country otherwise where members of the March events of 2008 are languishing in prisons, including MPs, journalists and ordinary citizens.

Dozens of diplomats are deprived of the work. Freedom House just tries to survive the financial crisis.

On the other hand, the fact that this organization calls the Nagorno-Karabakh a disputable territory puts into question its impartiality.

Despite the numerous measures associated with the development of institutes of the civil society in Azerbaijan, it is believed that many international organizations give scanty assessment to Azerbaijan. What is the reason of such double standards of the international organizations towards Azerbaijan?

I do not agree that many international organizations give scanty estimations. If one looks through the records of rather authoritative organizations, including the World Bank and a number of different brain centers, we will notice a verification of the growing influence of Azerbaijan in the region.

These are political and economic factors. Today, all agree that Azerbaijan is dynamically changing.

The state takes important and necessary actions in democracy by supporting the development of independent media outlets and civil society. It is not just rhetoric, but concrete facts.

The establishment of the State Support for Media Development Fund and the Council of State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations is obvious evidence.

A range of measures are implemented in social and humanitarian projects, beginning from the establishment of the Science Development Fund with seven-million-budget for the research to specific preventive initiatives aimed at the development of a citizen.

Despite the general crisis, we continue to develop economic sphere. Reconstruction is underway all over the country.

It does not testify that we make no headway. Our infrastructure develops while crime rate has increased 56.6 percent in Armenia. According to Armenian analysts, the economic situation is that foreign debt of 2010 will hit 46 percent of total GDP. But even Roosevelt said that the need and freedom are incompatible.

So, I reiterate that only certain organizations proceed from their own mercantile interests. Naturally, no one argues that the country has achieved everything and we should not be criticized. We are open to criticism and think it necessary.

But the criticism should be adequate with realities. One should call a spade a spade. I emphasize that Azerbaijan does not stand still. It does not regress as Armenia. Each initiative, implemented by the Azerbaijani President, is aimed at the next years and serves to develop state and society.

Can Fredom House state about similar support to the media outlets and civil society in Armenia? How does it happen? If Azerbaijan supports the projects of the media outlets, creates the conditions for their development, does not prohibit newspapers and TV channels as in Armenia, initiate actions towards the development of civil society, the third sector, it is not free.  It is absurd determined by some opportunistic interests.

Recently, Freedom House has posted a map of Azerbaijan on its website where Nagorno-Karabakh is indicated as a disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia despite the fact that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity has been recognized by all world countries, including the United States where Freedom House is based. Resolutions of the UN General Assembly and other international organizations have also confirmed Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. Is not this organization familiar with Azerbaijan well?

Moreover, this organization is not familiar with the region. It does not know about the realities of political and economic recession in Armenia.

This report is based solely on a group of clienalists' own reflections. Why does this organization dissemble about the tragedy in Khojaly? Why does not it speak about the facts committed by Armenian separatists? Not to see the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory and deliberately turn a blind eye eyes to it testify about paid interest of those who prepare such papers.

/Trend News/