Interview with the Austrian newspaper "Die Presse" http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/4926415/Tolerieren-das-nicht_Baku-verlangt-Entschuldigung-von-OSZE) the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov stated that "Assad is the only guarantor of the territorial integrity and security of Syria. Until replacing Assad by his successor, we support multilateral political process," Azimov said. Then suddenly he became to criticize the OSCE ODIHR and the well-known lawyer Amal Clooney for the protection of journalist Khadija Ismayilova. Azimov said that Azerbaijan does not want to become the EU member.
These statements by the Deputy Minister was greeted ambiguously in Azerbaijan and abroad, causing serious criticism. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has tried to mitigate the situation. Thus, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Hikmet Hajiyev said that the position of Azerbaijan was expressed by Ilham Aliyev on 4 February at the conference on Syria held in London. "We support the restoration of regional peace and cease-fire and a political solution to the crisis in accordance with the will of the people of Syria," Hajiyev said.
However, experts and politicians sharply criticized the statements of Azimov.
Political scientist Arastun Orujlu believes that Azerbaijan's position in the Syrian crisis is important for the country. "Processes around the Syrian crisis form a new world order. The leadership of Azerbaijan for a long time cannot express its opinion. On the one hand, Ilham Aliyev goes to London for a conference on Syria, and next time Araz Azimov makes a statement in support of the criminal regime by Assad," he said.
The main danger is an open pro-Russian position of official Baku on the background of support for the territorial integrity and demand by the United States and the Turkish leadership officials to release the occupied lands. It turns out that for Baku the territorial integrity is priority, Orujlu said.
The former head of the party "Musavat", and now head of the Center for strategic thought Isa Gambar noted that thank to Araz Azimov, the public was able to expose not only external, but also internal policy Aliyev’s regime.
Asking the question on democracy Araz Azimov, freedoms and political prisoners, Araz Azimov said about the establishment of ASAN service in Azerbaijan, which quickly provides help to citizens.
"In all of this it manifested the essence of the Azerbaijani authorities. Support for Assad means that the country is together with Russia and Iran, defending the dictatorship. It is also important that Azerbaijan and Turkey expressed the opposite position on the Syrian issue. In the whole an interview Azimov confirms that Azerbaijan is close to the dictatorial regimes, such as Russia and Iran, and it is against the position of the free world, said Isa Gambar. -03B04-
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