Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAKU447
2008-05-13 13:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baku
Cable title:  

AZERBAIJAN: SENIOR OFFICIALS REACT STRONGLY TO

Tags:  AJ PGOV PHUM PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0014
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKB #0447/01 1341306
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 131306Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5290
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2814
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0937
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000447 

SIPDIS

FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC, EUR/ACE, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2018
TAGS: AJ PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: SENIOR OFFICIALS REACT STRONGLY TO
U.S. COMMENTS ON DEMOCRACY AND MEDIA FREEDOM

REF: A. BAKU 412

B. BAKU 377

C. BAKU 306

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse per 1.4 (b, d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000447

SIPDIS

FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC, EUR/ACE, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2018
TAGS: AJ PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: SENIOR OFFICIALS REACT STRONGLY TO
U.S. COMMENTS ON DEMOCRACY AND MEDIA FREEDOM

REF: A. BAKU 412

B. BAKU 377

C. BAKU 306

Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse per 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Senior GOAJ officials have reacted
unusually harshly to recent USG statements criticizing
Azerbaijan's lack of political will to resolve its separatist
conflict, its imprisonment of journalists and especially,
comparing Azerbaijan's record on democracy unfavorably to
that of Armenia. Government contacts who support strong
relations with the U.S. are dismayed, saying that the
unfavorable public comparison of Azerbaijan to Armenia,
especially in the wake of Armenia's troubled elections, has
angered President Aliyev. The government appears to be
taking concrete steps to show its displeasure with the U.S.
Although targeted thus far at USG election and democracy
assistance, there are signs of possible fallout on other
issues as well. END SUMMARY

USG Criticism Hits a Nerve
--------------


2. (C) As reported reftels, relations with Azerbaijan have
been tense since the USG voted "no" on March 14 on
Azerbaijan's UNGA resolution on the situation in
Nagorno-Karabakh. President Aliyev believed the USG would
abstain, and many here, despite our repeated explanations of
the reasons for the vote, maintain that it betrays a
"pro-Armenian" bias, or at least, an unacceptable degree of
ambiguity about USG support for Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity.


3. (C) Against this backdrop, comments by the Secretary on
April 15 at an American Turkish Council lunch that "the NK
issue is one that could be resolved, and actually, with just
a little bit of will, could be resolved relatively quickly,"
were received with disbelief in Baku as an oversimplification
of a complex and, for Azerbaijan, a crucial, negotiation.
President Aliyev believed the comments impugned his
demonstrated commitment to finding a peaceful resolution,
according to the Foreign Minister.


4. (C) In a statement on April 28 at a Peace Corps event
that provoked significant negative attention in Baku,
Secretary Rice reportedly said, ". . . the Caucasus . . . not

so much Georgia, but Azerbaijan, to a certain extent Armenia,
there is important work to be done there to bring that part
of the Caucasus closer to the (democratic) standards that we
thought they were once meeting. And it has been a
disappointment." The GOAJ has long protested alleged western
"double standards" in the treatment of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. Senior Azerbaijani officials believe the USG
downplayed the violence, killings and anti-democratic
developments in the wake of Armenia's presidential election,
although the Embassy has regularly provided them information
on critical statements made by senior U.S. officials.


5. (C) When President Bush's statement on International
Press Freedom Day May 2 correctly listed Azerbaijan as one of
the top five jailers of journalists in the world, the dam
broke. Senior Azerbaijani officials have told us that many
in the government now believe the public criticism was a
"plot" to weaken the government ahead of October elections.

President Aliyev Reacts
--------------


6. (C) The UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan on May 7 said that
President Aliyev had delivered a message clearly intended for
the USG in a meeting with visiting UK Minister for Europe
James Murphy. The UK Ambassador said that commenting that he
was "telling you this because I know you are a close ally of
the U.S.,8 Aliyev first explained at length to Murphy his
longstanding unhappiness about the "double standards" applied
to Azerbaijan, and argued that "there should be a more
balanced approach." He said the Secretary,s remarks at the
Peace Corps were the first time the USG has publicly compared
democracy in the three countries, ranking Georgia first,
Arenia second, and Azerbaijan third. Aliyev told Muphy
this is "wrong, not diplomatic and contrary to our strategic
partnership."



7. (C) Aliyev said comments like this "make it harder for me
to advocate integration with Euro-Atlantic structures because
we have an internal debate in the YAP (the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party). People ask me, "if we are publicly
attacked why are we doing this (pursue Euro-Atlantic
integration)?" Aliyev told Murphy such remarks are
"insulting" and "humiliating," and it is important to
understand Azerbaijan's reaction from this "psychological"
perspective. Aliyev said the "State Department" position is
"strange" because he had a good meeting with President Bush
two years ago and bilateral cooperation is excellent,
including on energy, counterterrorism, security. So, Aliyev
asked Murphy, "Why is Madam Rice doing this?8

Unprecedented Public Reaction
--------------


8. (C) Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev, almost
certainly with clearance from the top, lashed back in a May 3
interview, targeting the Embassy's recent announcement of
technical assistance to support free and fair elections.
Mehdiyev said, "Personally, as a citizen of Azerbaijan, I see
(U.S. election assistance) as interference in Azerbaijan's
internal affairs." In the same interview, he said that
"according to Condolezza Rice's logic, the February-March
events in Armenia should be repeated in Azerbaijan before she
can say anything positive about Azerbaijan." He added that
President Bush's statement on the media in Azerbaijan was
incorrect.


9. (C) Apparently reflecting a decision to walk back from
the brink at least rhetorically, Mehdiyev curtly told the
press at a ruling political party-sponsored international
conference on May 7 that "relations with the U.S. are on a
high level. Azerbaijan is a U.S. partner. Relations are
developing and will develop further." The statement appears
to have stemmed at least temporarily the government-inspired
tide of public venom.


10. (C) Foreign Minister Mammadyarov told the Ambassador he
was "stunned" by Dr. Rice's statements. Noting his "great
respect" for the Secretary, he said he and others simply can
not understand "why this is happening." According to
Presidential International Relations Advisor Novruz Mammadov
on May 2, President Aliyev called him in and grilled him. "I
have a good relationship with President Bush. Azerbaijan is
the partner who cooperates with the U.S. in many areas
successfully, on which the U.S. can count for the future."

Azerbaijani Punitive Steps
--------------


11. (C) We see worrying signs that the government's
unhappiness since the UN General Assembly vote on
Nagorno-Karabakh, exacerbated by the recent public
statements, is having a negative affect on our broader
interests. Most actions thus far are targeted at USG
election and democracy assistance programs, which in previous
meetings had been favorably received by the GOAJ, including
by Mehdiyev. For example, in addition to Mehdiyev's
allegations of USG "interference in internal affairs,"
President Aliyev and Mehdiyev in separate meetings both
protested alleged direct USG financing of the opposition
("our enemies") through its assistance programs. On April 15
the presidential staff shared a list of programs they claimed
unacceptably finance the opposition. The list, largely an
objective account of USG programs here, provides no
substantiation for the claims, which we have relayed to the
Presidential staff and the Foreign Ministry.


12. (C) On April 28, the USAID-supported Election Monitoring
Center (EMC),which the Ministry of Justice had just
registered in February after two years of applications,
received notice that the Ministry of Justice had filed a
sudden court case to revoke its registration and dissolve the
organization on the basis of minor technical problems (reftel
A). As the largest domestic monitoring organization, the EMC
planned to field thousands of monitors for the October polls.



13. (C) In an April 15 meeting with visiting Radio Free
Europe and Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) President Jeff Gedmin,

President Aliyev first provided a strong statement on
Nagorno-Karabakh and then an unrepentant message on media
freedom. Aliyev rebuffed Gedmin's criticism of the media
situation, claiming Azerbaijan has "no problems" on media and
slamming Radio Liberty for reporting allegedly slanted toward
the opposition (reftel B). To date RFE/RL continues to
operate unimpeded, but pressure on other journalists
continues.


14. (C) The GOAJ's ire may be spilling over into other areas
of the relationship not related to democratic reform. After
months of close collaboration that resulted in the signing of
a lease on March 14 for a New Embassy Compound, the GOAJ has
gone radio silent with respect to the final steps to finalize
the transfer of the property to the USG, refusing to answer
phone calls, letters or requests of meetings, without
explanation. After the Minister of Defense approved the
requisite number of troops for the first-ever joint
U.S.-Azerbaijan military exercise in Azerbaijan in spring
2009, Operation Regional Response, the Presidential Apparat
told the Defense Minister on April 28 that the President's
final approval of the exercise would be withheld until after
the October elections.

Signs of an Internal Battle
--------------


15. (C) In separate recent discussions, the Foreign
Minister, Presidential International Relations Advisor Novruz
Mammadov and Presidential Legal Advisor Shahin Aliyev, all
supporters of a strong U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship and
Azerbaijan's Euro-Atlantic orientation, expressed dismay.
They made clear the President has taken the USG comments
personally, and that they have raised again in his mind the
spectre of a USG plot to weaken him in an important election
year (as he believes we did in 2005). Moreover, these
contacts say the public criticism following on the heels of
the UNGA flap has strengthened the hand of government
hardliners who argue against Azerbaijan's western orientation
in internal GOAJ debates.


16. (C) Foreign Minister Mammadyarov told the Ambassador on
May 1 that the disparaging public comparison of Azerbaijan to
Georgia and Armenia, especially after difficult elections in
the latter two this year, convinces even U.S. supporters in
the GOAJ that "no matter how good our elections are, we're
screwed." Asserting that democracy is very important for
Azerbaijan and that he strongly believes "Azerbaijan is not
worse than Georgia or Armenia," Mammadyarov said negative
public comparisons of Azerbaijan to Georgia and Armenia are
"not helpful" to those trying to advance reform in
Azerbaijan. The U.S. should realize that "there are some
working against you," seeking to plant suspicions and
negative thinking about USG actions and intentions in the
mind of the President.


17. (C) International Relations Advisor Mammadov told the
Ambassador May 2 that problems in the relationship that began
with the UNGA vote are multiplying. Those who want to drive
a wedge between the U.S. and Azerbaijan are taking advantage
of the flare up on Nagorno-Karabakh and the sensitivities of
an election year to mount a campaign against the U.S. They
are succeeding, and confidence in the U.S. is being eroded.
Mammadov added, "Many in the government and the President
himself feel that USG criticism, while merited, is not
balanced." Aliyev has been convinced that "there is a
deliberate formula the USG uses, one for him, one for
Georgia, and one for Armenia," Mammadov said. Aliyev
believes, however, that of the CIS countries, Azerbaijan is
the partner that cooperates most successfully with the U.S.
in many areas, he added. In this context, the President does
not understand "unbalanced" USG criticism.

Comment
--------------


18. (C) The GOAJ's harsh reaction reflects a combination of
longstanding sensitivity to being compared unfavorably to its
neighbors, especially Armenia, President Aliyev's conviction
that the USG had sought to foster a color revolution in the
2005 election and lingering unhappiness about our recent
stance on Nagorno-Karabakh at the UNGA. As a result we are
on a negative trajectory at present with Azerbaijan. Septel

will explore suggestions for how we might get relations back
on track and promote our considerable interests against this
backdrop of hostility.
DERSE