AMBASSADOR REVIEWS RANGE OF PARLIAMENTARY ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 001446

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM EAID PBTS AJ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR REVIEWS RANGE OF PARLIAMENTARY ISSUES
WITH SPEAKER OGTAY ASADOV

REF: A. BAKU 1126

B. BAKU 1320

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ANNE E. DERSE PER 1.4(B,D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a November 21 meeting with the
Ambassador, Speaker of Parliament Ogtay Asadov said that
USAID's Parliamentary Assistance Project has so far been
successful. The Ambassador urged Parliament to move quickly
on draft new laws on money laundering and anti-terrorist
finance, which the GOAJ had pledged to submit to Parliament
in June 2007 during the February 2007 bilateral Economic
Partnership Commission. She also urged Asadov to establish
coordination with the American Chamber of Commerce in order
to strengthen the legislation pertaining to Azerbaijan's
business environment, which he agreed to do, and encouraged
Asadov to ensure that Parliament played a constructive role
laying the framework for a fair and free presidential
election in 2008. Raising his usual concerns about "parity"
in the United States' relationships with Azerbaijan and
Armenia, Asadov said he was pleased that Azerbaijan and
Armenia were moving closer to a solution. END SUMMARY.

PARLIAMENTARY ASSISTANCE PROJECT
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2. (C) On November 21, the Ambassador met with Speaker of
Parliament Ogtay Asadov to introduce Petro Morgos, Chief of
Party for DAI, the implementer of USAID's Parliamentary
Assistance Project. She noted the important role an
independent legislature plays in governance. The Ambassador
thanked Asadov for recent positive developments in relations
between Parliament's secretariat staff and the DAI project
staff, and congratulated him on the successful trainings of
assistants for the Members of Parliament (MPs). She said
that she was pleased to have reached a constructive
resolution regarding the provision of equipment for the
constituency offices. The Ambassador noted that DAI was
moving forward with a survey of Parliament's staff to
determine their specific training needs. The Speaker, along
with Parliamentary Chief of Staff Safa Mirzayev, agreed that
the Parliamentary Assistance Project was going well, and
noted that they looked forward to continuing such close
cooperation.

ANTI-CORRUPTION AND TERRORISM FINANCE
--------------


3. (C) The Ambassador passed Asadov copies of two letters she
had sent to Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev, one
offering U.S. views on the GOAJ's new anti-corruption plan
(ref a),and one regarding Azerbaijan's efforts to draft new
laws on money laundering and anti-terrorist finance. She
noted that in February's Economic Partnership Conference, the
GOAJ had undertaken to submit such drafts to Parliament by
June, which had not happened. The Ambassador urged the
Speaker to grant these drafts early attention once Parliament
received them. Mirzayev noted that one bill included on the
fall agenda covered, in part, anti-terrorist finance. He
said it had been drafted by a working group within
Parliament. The Ambassador offered to arrange a meeting
between the Embassy's Department of Justice Resident Legal
Advisor and the working group, to which the Speaker was
amenable. He added that the Embassy should also work with
Parliament's Legal Policy and State Building Commission.

COORDINATION WITH AMCHAM
--------------


4. (C) Noting the importance of economic reform to the
bilateral relationship, the Ambassador urged the Speaker to
coordinate with the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).
She said that AmCham could share international best business
practices with the GOAJ to help strengthen relevant
legislation. Asadov agreed that a need to improve
Azerbaijan's business environment remained, and said that
Parliament was ready to cooperate with AmCham. He noted that
contact with both the Economic Policy Commission and
Parliament's Economic Department would be useful. The
Ambassador and the Speaker agreed that AmCham President
Maksud Mirzayev would contact Parliamentary Chief of Staff
Safa Mirzayev to discuss the next steps.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH
--------------


5. (C) Asadov said he was pleased that Azerbaijan and Armenia
were moving towards a solution on the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. He noted disappointment, however, that the
Armenian press had mistakenly portrayed Secretary General of
the Council of Europe Terry Davis as being interested "only

in Azerbaijan's oil." But, the Speaker said, that could not
be the case; "I know Terry Davis personally." Asadov said
that he pitied the Armenian people because they did not start
the conflict, and they were burdened by a diaspora making
decisions that were not in the best interests of the next
generation of Armenians. He reiterated his belief that the
key to a solution lies with Russia, not Armenia.


6. (C) Referencing the four UN Security Council Resolutions
pertaining to the conflict, Asadov said that it was "time to
move beyond parity" in the bilateral relationship. He said
that many countries maintained a neutral position on
Nagorno-Karabakh because they believed that such a conflict
could never happen within their borders. However, Asadov
continued, there are more than 1,400 ethnic conflicts
worldwide; "it can happen anywhere." He concluded that
claiming other countries do not have a vested interest in the
conflict is like the parable of the king who led both his
sons to believe he loved them the most.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
--------------


7. (C) The Ambassador noted that she had been pleased to
participate in the inaugural session of Parliament's fall
session. Parliament, she said, has a great responsibility
over the next year to lay the legislative framework for the
October 2008 presidential election, which she hoped would be
the "fairest and freest" in Azerbaijan's history. The
Ambassador urged the Speaker to ensure that Parliament makes
a positive impact on the electoral process by passing
legislation reflecting the Venice Commission's
recommendations on changes to the electoral code and the law
on freedom of assembly. The Speaker replied that he was
"hopeful and certain" that the presidential election would be
transparent and democratic.

COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) The tone of the meeting was, as usual, amicable, and
Asadov's extensive comments on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
were predictable. While Parliament remains largely a
rubber-stamp body (ref b),the Parliamentary Assistance
Project has the potential to empower individual MPs to more
effectively do their jobs. We are pleased with the project's
progress to date, and will continue to engage with
Parliament's leadership on the need for democratic reform.
DERSE