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26.04.2007

The process of the making of Azerbaijani lobbing: general data

   

Haykaram Nahapetyan 

Year by year one can become the witness of more purposeful and systemized work of the Azerbaijani authorities directed to organize Azerbaijani communities and its “own” Diaspora abroad. It goes without saying that these steps are first of all aiming at struggling against the Armenin Diaspora, hindering the lobbing favorable for Armenians organized by the Armenian Diaspora in the US, Russia and European countries as well as their propagandistic, social and if possible political activities.

Baku has already succeeded for the last years and it is extremely desirable for the Armenian party at lest to study Azerbaijani or Turkish “Diasporas” to have clear cut ideas about these structures’ potential and plans and if possible work out certain counteract strategy. The Azerbaijani “Diaspora” becomes more active at certain days of a year: on January 20, which is the day they suffered loses at the period of Karabakh war and lost Khojali, on March 31 – the day of the “Azerbaijani Genocide” etc.

The work with Azerbaijani “Diaspora” stepped into a qualitatively new stage after the foundation of an organization called “State Committee for Working with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad”. The state structure was founded on July 5, 2002 by the order of Heydar Alyev. The organization has since been headed by Nazim Ibrahimov. The later one was born on December 23, 1963 in Nakhijevan. He graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Azerbaijan and minded his own business; in 1997-1999 he was the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ukraine and at the same time to Moldova and Poland and later on, since March 1999, the one of the Republic of Belarus. In 2000 he was elected as a representative of “Yeni Azerbaijan” leading party in the parliament.

The organization has for about 40 members. In 2005 it was completely repaired on the account of financial resources allocated by the sate budget and according to Azerbaijani mass media it is furnished technically. The organization’s web sites are www.diaspora.az and www.diaspora.gov.az. The sites represent information on Azerbaijani communities, geography, economy, history, and culture and in a separate section is written Baku’s official standpoint of Karabakh conflict, the events on January 20 and the developments in Khojali.

Two conditions accelerated the process of forming “Diaspora” playing the role of “catalysts”: first, the Azerbaijani unions abroad began working with Turkish lobbyist organizations. Especially in the stage of formation it greatly furthered the Azerbaijani party to settle organization, legal problems. It also enlarged the potential of Azerbaijani party extending the anti-Armenian front.

From the other hand, Baku tried to keep the hearths of Iranian Azerbaijanis and their already formed unions under control. If we take into consideration the fact that the activities of the Iranian Azerbaijanis’ expatriate unions are mainly of anti-Iran character end enjoy the America’s patronage, one can notice community of US-Azerbaijan interests in this point. Thus, Baku is stirred up to carry out active work and act aggressively.

According to information circling in mass media and the above mentioned web site there are Azerbaijani community organizations in the following countries: USA, Australia, Austria, germany, Byelorussia, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Dania, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Island, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Cyprus, Egypt, Netherlands, Norway, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Rumania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Japan, New Zealand, all in all for about 36 countries. Here one may also add the name of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the big number of Azerbaijanis living there has non-governmental organizations and mass media which work in harmony with Azerbaijani state interests and has separatist direction.

While introducing the Azerbaijani organizations let’s mention that they have achieved tangible success in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Sweden, France, they are also progressing in the US.

“America’s Azerbaijani community” organization was founded in the US still in 1956 by the Prime Minister of Musavat Azerbaijan, Mammed Amin Rasulzade. At present the US is the most active Azerbaijani union headed by Tomris Azeri. In the US also works the “Union of Azerbaijani Jews” which mainly consists of Jews which have moved from Azerbaijan to the US. It s headed by Yakob Abramov. The policy implemented by the Azerbaijani party to have close relations with Jewish unions and Israel itself is quite well outlined. Together with confronting some of his interests with Iran and formation of Azerbaijan-Turkey-Israel strategic triangle, here one can also notice Baku’s aspiration “to be in friendly terms” with Jewish lobbing involving them in anti-Armenian activities.

There are two Pan-Russian Azerbaijani unions in RF: Pen-Russian Azerbaijani Conference (PAC) and Azerros. The first one works in compliance with the interests of Baku, and the second one is more independent. The organizations are competing with each other and are not in friendly terms. One of the sponsors of PAC is the citizen of Moscow, Araz Agalanov, whose son is married with Aliev’s daughter. According to information provided by the American “Forbs”, Agalanov is among the 100 richest people in Russia. He owns the exhibition center of Komteq computer technologies, an exclusive shoe store at the intersections of Stoleshnikov and Petrovka streets, the complex of “Agalarov”, a trade center with the area of 66 thousand square kilometers. On the Area of 75 acres Agalarov has built “Crocus city” mall, which is also a big fashion center.

In his interview given to “Zerkalo” newspaper Agalarov announced that every years PAC was given up to $100 thousand by a few rich Azerbaijanis.

“Forbs” evaluates Agalarov’s property to be $360 million and at the same time mentions that in reality his capital is larger and in 3-4 years it will exceed the limit of 1 billion.

There are 11 Azerbaijani unions in France, 6 of which work in Strasburg, one of the European administrative centers. It can be considered to be a well thought enterprise, which again has come to prove that the making of Azerbaijani “Diaspora” develops in the framework of state strategy. It is worth mentioning that most of the Azerbaijani organizations abroad were founded in 2002 and the years to come, that’s to say after the foundation of above mentioned state committee.

The subject of Azerbaijani communities is in the center of attention of mass media. In the web site of Azertaj state information agency (www.azertag.az) there is a section called “Diaspora”. The subject is frequently touched especially in the newspapers of “Zerkalo” and “Echo” which is possible to be carried out in the framework of state order.

It is noteworthy that the head of the US based lobbyist organization, Assembley of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) in his interview on the Armenian Genocide bill given to Turkish TGRT TV channel pointed out that “in case of Azerbaijan the work with its own communities has a more organized and systemized character then the one in Turkey”. He also confessed that the Azerbaijani communities are in close relations with the authorities and their work is well directed.

In one of his interviews Nazim Ibrahimov mentioned that it was planned to assign a task to one diplomat from each Azerbaijani embassy to systemize the studies on Diaspora and organization of their work. The above mentioned information as well as the fact that the organization of Azerbaijani communities is a component part of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s security conception, Baku will continue its objective work and is sure to report progress soon. In this sense, the confrontation of Diaspora and Azerbaijani-Turkish communities, and their Ant-Armenian activities will in the near future become one of the challenges facing RA.


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