Interview with Yusif Babanli, board member of Azerbaijani American Council (AAC) and co-founder of the US Azeris Network (USAN).
Q: What do you think about prospects of the Azerbaijani-American relations with the new Azerbaijani envoy Elin Suleymanov?
A: Elin Suleymanov is a career diplomat who had already worked in the Azerbaijani embassy a decade ago. His experience and knowledge had led him to a rather challenging mission to represent Azerbaijan on the West coast, as the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, a home to the largest Armenian-American community in the country. I would not be mistaken, if I said that while holding that office, Mr. Suleymanov had discovered Azerbaijan for Americans of these Western states. I think his new undertaking will be very successful for further development of bilateral ties between these states.
Q: American Armenians via their pals among politicians intensified a campaign against confirmation of Matthew Bryza as the US ambassador in Azerbaijan. Is it possible to overcome the attempts of the Armenian lobby in the Senate to hamper the extension of Bryza’s term?
A: Unfortunately, the Armenian American organizations have restarted their campaign of unnecessary pressure on the appointment of Matthew Bryza to the post of the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan. According to the US Constitution, the recess appointment of a high ranking federal official has to be reviewed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee once again to be confirmed or rejected before the next session of the Senate starts.
Obviously, Senators Menendez and Boxer will be using the same arguments to discredit Mr. Bryza and make him come home. It is very clear that the main purpose of exerting pressure on nominations is to delay the appointment of an ambassador, create discontent and cause damage to the bilateral ties between US and Azerbaijan. Whether or not the Armenian lobby will succeed or fail in blocking the confirmation of the current Ambassador Bryza, it is imperative that the Foreign Affairs Committee understands the urgency of having the ambassadorial position filled, at least, due to the fact that the position had been vacant for a year and a half which caused discomfort in Azerbaijan.
Q: How would you assess the role of the United States in Karabakh settlement in the outgoing year and what are your expectations for the next year?
A: Being the co-chair to the OSCE Minsk group and a country in multi-tiered economic and political relationship, the US should be more proactive in conflict resolution. As the country which introduced and supported the Baker Rules, the US should also be more proactive in enforcement of the negotiation format where the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Karabakh are recognized as interested parties, which means the leadership of the Azerbaijani community of Karabakh should be brought into negotiations and visited every time the co-chairs visit the region.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
