Interview with the president of Azerbaijan's Khazar University, Dr John Ryder.
Q: Do you think that as a Muslim country Azerbaijan can successfully integrate with Europe?
A: Obviously Azerbaijan has an orientation towards Europe. I don’t think that having a Muslim background is a problem even in Europe. Right now the Europeans are nervous and that nervousness is being expressed in anti-Muslim kind of talk, but I really don’t think in the long run that’s a serious issue.
Europe has its problem because it’s trying to figure out what it is. It’s one thing for the EU ambassador to say, we’re all in this together and so on. This question of European identity is an interesting one. Does it include Turkey? Does it not include Turkey? Well, Turkey’s Muslim - so what? So’s Bosnia. When Bosnia gets to the point where it’s in a position to integrate more, I doubt anyone will be objecting on the grounds that Bosnia is Muslim or Albania for that matter. I don’t think that Islam is the issue, I really don’t.
Q: Azerbaijan accuses the international community of not giving a damn about the Karabakh problem, because it talks a lot about the energy resources of Azerbaijan but doesn’t want to deal with the Karabakh problem. Why is that?
A: I suspect that there’s some truth to the suspicion that the international community doesn’t want to deal with the Karabakh problem. They would like it to go away. In that sense, they would like it to be dealt with. I don’t speak for any nation obviously, so I don’t know what they actually think. I suspect that it’s quite possible for the international community to think that both sides have a point and resolving it is going to be so difficult that they had just better leave whatever structures have been defined to deal with it, Minsk and so on, leave them to run their course. That’s what I think.
Q: After events in North Africa and the Middle East, some people say that these events will continue in countries like Azerbaijan. Do you see here any similarities?
A: Well, one hears rumblings of discontent with the regime and with conditions, economic primarily but it’s reflected politically also. There certainly isn’t, from my vantage point, any evidence of a popular uprising. I don’t hear it, I don’t see it. There are probably people who would like to see one; some of them are probably here, but I would be surprised if it happens.
Q: What do you think about the regional role of Russia? Some people say that after the war with Georgia, Russia has shown itself to be an interested country, a country interested in the Caucasus and that, it’s not an impartial mediator on the conflict. Do you think that with Russia as a mediator Azerbaijan can solve the problem?
A: Yes, I think Russia is immensely important. Obviously it has its own interests, its own goals and purposes, but every nation does. In that sense it’s no different from any other. Russia is too important. You want Russia on your side, to the extent that you can manage it. And I do think it’s possible. As far as I can tell, there’s nothing good for Russia in continued difficulties in the South Caucasus. But they have their own problems, they have got close relations with Armenia and so on, they have to do a very delicate dance. If the question is, do I think with the right people, Russia will try to develop close relations? It would be in everybody’s interests.
Leyla Tagiyeva
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