A senior U.S. official on Wednesday reiterated Washington's commitment to human rights and free media "all around the world including in Azerbaijan."
Speaking to TURAN's US correspondent a senior State Department official expressed his concern over deteriorating media freedoms "among countries deemed to be our friends and partners."
"We all understand the role and importance of investigative journalism and free media," an official said.
When asked about a recent court decision in Azerbaijan to permanently block several independent online media outlets critical of the government, the official said, "we will continue to follow developments [in Azerbaijan]."
Late last week, a Baku court decided to block the websites of five media outlets, including the U.S. Congress-funded RFE/RL's Azeri language website.
Speaking to TURAN's Washington correspondent on Wednesday, May 17, the Congressional Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Roger Wicker expressed his concern over the move.
"It is a real concern," he said. "We will continue to raise our concern at the leadership level."
A.Raufoglu
Washington, D.C.
Politics
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By 10:00 a.m., voter turnout in the snap parliamentary elections was 9.92%, the Central Election Commission of Azerbaijan reported.
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Voting in the early elections to the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan began at 8:00. Voting is taking place at 6,478 polling stations throughout Azerbaijan, including the lands liberated from occupation. 990 candidates are competing for 125 seats in the unicameral parliament.
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Armenia is not against the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, but does not consider it appropriate to discuss this issue now. "In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today. "The whole question is about the timing, we need to understand how effectively and correctly to turn such topics into a subject of discussion right now," the Armenian Prime Minister added.
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He expressed his willingness to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the border between the two countries. "A meeting with Ilham Aliyev could take place at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I am open to such a format," Pashinyan said at a press conference today. According to Pashinyan, Armenia recently presented another proposal for a peace treaty to Azerbaijan.
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