Azerbaijan is a friend to the United States and both countries cooperate in several important spheres, said representative of US Department of State David Kraemer during the hearings on Azerbaijan in the Helsinki commission of the US congress.
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He noted that the spheres of cooperation and democratic and economic reforms, energy diversification and security issues.
"US works to bring the level of cooperation with Azerbaijan in the democracy issues to the level of cooperation in the sphere of energy and security", said he.
As for the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan, Kraemer said the elections are the chance for the Azerbaijani government to display intention to conduct democratic reforms. At the same time, he said the fact of narrowing of the political arena for the discontented to express their view, creates concern.
Speaking of the problems in the sphere of freedom of press, Kraemer stressed the imprisonment of three journalists, as well as pressure on Agil Halil and Emin Huseynov.
/Day.Az/