Fikret Sadikhov: "It is incorrect to compare the level of democracy in Georgia and Azerbaijan"

- How do you assess the result of presidential elections in Azerbaijan?

- One of Russian analysts have recently voiced an opinion according to which "Azerbaijan is already not an eastern despotic government but not yet a European democracy". I have always been surprised at the inclination of some Russian political scientists to libel, use of models and other demonstration of inability to judge reasonably, based on existing facts and realities, inability or unwillingness to demonstrate their personal but not repeatedly voiced, often mistaken thesis of someone else.

Naturally, each country has its own individual way of development. But Azerbaijan adheres to all standards of democracy. And the elections, held in our country in conditions of openness, transparency, pluralism of opinions is another proof of it. I am confident that elections in Azerbaijan were held better than in neighbor Georgia and Armenia, where opposite opinion was suppressed and bloodshed was committed by the powers of these countries.

Elections in our country were held normally and by the level of their democracy Azerbaijan was quite equal to the developed countries of Europe, which has old traditions of democratic development.

- You have started the interview with recalling Russian political scientists. Is the level of democracy higher in Azerbaijan or in Russia?

- I would not draw parallels between Russia and Azerbaijan for the level of democracy in Azerbaijan is quite high, the level of political culture in the society is also high. Azerbaijan enjoys freedom of speech, thought and expression of will. At the current presidential elections in our country all components of the democratic development of the country promoted conduction of open and transparent elections, which were highly evaluated by all international observers.

In the result, most people of our country willfully voted for working president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who embodies the youth and political maturity, political pragmatism and European traditions. The choice of people, under preservation of all components for free and open will expression by the people, is a proof of Azerbaijan's adherence to democracy.

- Georgia, which has no economic attractiveness, has gained great profits from the use of an image of "an island of democracy in the Caucasus". Do you think Azerbaijan will be able to outstrip Georgia and become the most democratically developed country in the region after the presidential elections, which were held democratically by assessments of all international experts?

- First all, the political support of the United States and some European states to the current leadership of Georgia is not connected with the level of democracy in this country. We have all witnessed that the current powers of Georgia can apply force against opposition, send army to the Tbilisi streets in order to avert meetings of those, who do not agree with the results of the elections in this country and put pressure on freedom of speech. It all proves that today Georgia is the US outpost in the South Caucasus region, just like Armenia, which is considered Russia's outpost.

In this connection, I think it is incorrect to speak of the democracy level in Georgia. Moreover, it is incorrect to compare the level of democracy in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Our country holds an absolutely independent, multi-directional external policy and the presidential elections here are transparent, democratic, witnessing no use of force by powers against those, who think differently, like it was in Georgia.

- In this case, how do you see the next five years for Azerbaijan?

- I think in the coming five years Azerbaijan will strengthen its leadership in the South Caucasus region. Our country will pay a special attention to the non-oil sector, continuing to gain more from the status of a supplier country and a transit state for hydrocarbons. Measures will be taken to fortify the internal political stability in Azerbaijan and multi-directional external policy will continue.

As for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, all men of sense understand that the status, which Nagorno Karabakh had had before 1988, will never be returned again. But I am sure that significant steps will be taken soon for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan's favor, taking into account the territorial integrity of our country.

/Day.Az/