Azerbaijan Not to Extradite Saakashvili

“In the tradition of Azerbaijan is respect for statesmen after they leave their high office. This applies not only to our own ones, but also to foreign politicians, especially to those who have made a significant contribution to the strengthening of the bilateral relations," said the Azerbaijani political scientist, MP Rasim Musabekov in response to the Russian media statements on the participation of the former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in the III Global Forum in Baku.

Recall that the Ex-president of Georgia is announced wanted in his own country.

"When Saakashvili’s team came to power in Georgia, official Baku kept a respectful attitude and did not avoid contacts with the ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze. Why should we now turn away from Saakashvili, who always advocated the allied relations with Azerbaijan?" said Musabekov. It was during his presidency that such strategic projects as the oil pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan and the gas pipeline Baku - Erzurum, as well as construction of the railway Baku - Tbilisi – Kars, were implemented.

"But there are things of a higher order, such as self-esteem and a strong memory for good. Receiving the Ex-president of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili in Baku, Azerbaijan demonstrates that it does not forget and does not turn away from its friends for the sake of political expediency. This is a good sign not only for the retired, but also for acting foreign politicians," said Musabekov.

Note that the Prosecutor Office of Georgia appealed to Azerbaijan on April 28, demanding the arrest and extradition of the former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Saakashvili, who is a freelance adviser to the President of Ukraine Peter Poroshenko, arrived in Baku and took part in the III Global Forum of Open Societies on Tuesday.

"Our department addressed yesterday to the Azerbaijani side and demanded the detention and subsequent extradition of Mikhail Saakashvili to Georgia," the press service employee of the Prosecutor, Natia Sukhiashvili said on April 29. According to her, the Georgian side has not yet received an official response from Azerbaijan.

* In 2014 the Prosecutor Office of Georgia filed charges against Saakashvili in absentia. He is accused of several criminal cases - embezzling more than 8.8 million GEL of public funds for personal needs, abuse of power in the dispersal of the rally on November 7, 2007, beating the parliamentarian Valeri Gelashvili and the murder of a United Bank of Georgia employee Sandro Girgvliani in 2006. -06D-