Chairman of Helsinki Commission of the US Congress: "When President Ilham Aliev eventually meets President Barack Obama, they will have to spend time discussing why Baku has shut down U.S.-funded radio stations, instead of exploring ways to deepen the relationship between our countries"

He noted that the official justification for this unfortunate decision is that a 2002 Azerbaijani law restricts such frequencies to local broadcasters.

"The Helsinki Commission, which I chair, sent a letter on November 24, co-signed by Co-Chairman Senator Benjamin Cardin and Ranking Minority Member Christopher Smith, to President Ilham Aliev in which we urged him to reconsider. We pointed out that keeping Congressionally-funded RFE/RL and VOA off the FM airwaves was an unwise and unfriendly move and that ending these programs was a poor way to start a relationship with incoming President Barack Obama. But Baku did not budge. Nor, might I add, have we even received the courtesy of a reply since November", noted Hastings.

At the same time, the congressman announced that Azerbaijan’s record on media freedom was poor before this, with heavy state influence on the airwaves, three journalists in jail and frequent criticism by the OSCE, Council of Europe and freedom of speech advocates.

He said Azerbaijani relations with the United States will surely be negatively affected by this decision.

"I regret that when President Ilham Aliev eventually meets President Barack Obama, they will have to spend time discussing why Baku has shut down U.S.-funded radio stations, instead of exploring ways to deepen the relationship between our countries", said he.

/Day.Az/