TODAY.AZ / Politics

Azeri ambassador in the USA Hafiz Pashayev: "We work intensively to annul Section 907"

27 May 2005 [12:50] - TODAY.AZ
"President Ilham Aliyev is due to visit the United States of America this year. I can not say anything on the exact date of the visit. Head of state will pay a visit to Washington this year".
APA was told by Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the USA Hafiz Pashayev.

The ambassador explained the reason why the USA renders less aid to Azerbaijan than other South Caucasus countries. "One of the reasons of less aided of the USA administration to Azerbaijan is that our country is developing economically. The USA government takes into consideration the needs of the state while it aids this state. As the economy of Azerbaijan has developed such aids are not needed so much. I consider that, Azerbaijan should develop by the account of its own internal recourses, internal potential".

Hafiz Pashayev stated that aid will be rendered to Azerbaijan by the order of the USA State Department. "The exact number isn't known for the time being. The volume of the aid may be ether increased or decreased. As far as I know, 53 million dollars will be allocated to Azerbaijan this year".

Azerbaijani diplomat said that intensive measure is implemented in the direction of annulling Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. "We are working seriously on this matter. We have a lot of allies in the USA government; the majority of the government members support our position. However, the congressmen have influence on adopting the decisions individually. There are a lot of congressmen who support Armenia so far. However, the environment in the Congress has changed a lot and we are working in these processes with definite strategy. The opportunities for annulling the Section 907 will increase in case the internal situation in Azerbaijan changes a little bit".

Hafiz Pashayev disagreed with the opinions that the number of Azerbaijani citizens with immigrant status increases in the USA. "I don't know any Azerbaijani immigrant in the USA. There are Azerbaijani refugees but not political immigrant there. The majority of the refugees are Azerbaijani citizens who married Armenians during the former Soviet period. They are living in the USA for some reasons, but are still Azerbaijani citizens. Besides, there are many Jews from Azerbaijan in the USA".

The ambassador said that there is no obstacle for the extradition of ex-speaker Rasul Guliyev to Azerbaijan. "We have not legal juridical status for demanding his extradition to Azerbaijan on the other hand. That is because interstates contract on mutual juridical aid and extradition of criminals doesn't exist between Azerbaijan and the USA. Therefore this matter remains open".

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/19447.html

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