AZERBAIJAN: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive hoping to ease strains over Nagorno-Karabakh and to discuss issue of human rights in the authoritarian, oil-rich country

Record ID: 218609

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrive hoping to ease strains over Nagorno-Karabakh and to discuss issue of human rights in the authoritarian, oil-rich country
  • Date: 5th July 2010
  • Summary: U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON ENTERING COURTYARD WHERE AZERBAIJANI YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES ARE WAITING FOR HER CLINTON GREETING YOUNG PEOPLE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) HILLARY CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYING: "The United States is committed to helping you and your fellow citizens build a prosperous, independent, democratic, sovereign Azerbaijan." MED
  • Embargoed: 20th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADWQ2RVHA5U0KM0N1QT8B3PZ
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday tried to mend fences with Azerbaijan and to promote a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute and also pressed the authoritarian, oil-rich country on human rights.
    A U.S.-backed push for a rapprochement between Armenia and U.S. ally Turkey has hurt U.S. relations with Azerbaijan, which is worried that its interests will suffer as a result.
    Baku in April accused the United States of siding with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, a largely Christian region which seceded from Muslim Azerbaijan and proclaimed independence after a war in the 1990s that killed some 30,000.
    As a result of the strains in the relationship, including the absence of a U.S. ambassador for more than a year, Baku threatened to "reconsider" its ties with the United States.
    Strategically located between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan has been a key supply route for U.S. troops in Afghanistan but ties have been frayed by multiple issues.
    While seeking to improve relations and make some headway on Nagorno-Karabakh, Clinton also pressed Azerbaijan to show greater respect for civil liberties.
    "The United States is committed to helping you and your fellow citizens build a prosperous, independent, democratic, sovereign Azerbaijan," said Clinton at a meeting with Azerbaijani youth and civil society representatives.
    Speaking to civil society advocates, including bloggers, Clinton said Azerbaijan had some way to go on respecting its citizens rights. She also said she had raised the case of two jailed opposition bloggers during her meeting with Azerbaijani officials.
    "Considerable progress has been made here, you know better than I there is work to be done, there are still lots of challenges. For example, President Obama and I both received many letters about the two young bloggers who are in prison. Those are the kinds of issues which every society has to deal with and has to try to come to grips with and I certainly have raised those in my meetings today," Clinton said.
    Two Azeri bloggers were sentenced last year to two and two and a half years in jail after a violent incident at a cafe in which the bloggers say they were the victims of an unprovoked attack.
    The incident happened shortly after video blogger Adnan Hajizade posted his latest tongue-in-cheek swipe at authorities under President Ilham Aliyev, in which he held a fake news conference dressed as a donkey.
    Charged with hooliganism and inflicting bodily harm, their imprisonment drew concern from the European Union and widespread criticism from rights groups, with Amnesty International saying the bloggers were convicted on fabricated charges.
    "Democracy is not only about elections, it is about free press, about independent judiciary, it is about transparent and accountable institutions and leaders and in today's world it is about the way new technologies and social media can help the democratic dialogue flourish," said Clinton at the meeting.
    Clinton is the second top U.S. official to visit Azerbaijan in a month, following Defense Secretary Robert Gates' early June trip designed to smooth ruffled feathers and to guarantee U.S. supply lines for Afghanistan.
    Since 2001 military aircraft and supply trucks have crossed the country carrying U.S. and NATO forces and equipment to Afghanistan. The Pentagon wants to avoid problems that could slow Obama's 30,000-troop surge.
    The strains ran so deep that Gates delivered a letter to Aliyev in June from U.S. President Barack Obama, who said he was aware of the "serious issues in our relationship" but was confident they could be addressed.
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