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SHOW COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRATIC FUTURE, U.S. URGES AZERBAIJAN; U.S. ENVOY ALSO CALLS FOR EARLY SOLUTION TO NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT
Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
September 7, 2005
The United States is urging Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his
government to continue on a path that demonstrates their commitment
to Azerbaijan's democratic future and to take all necessary steps to
ensure the success of the upcoming November elections.
Addressing a special session of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) September 6, U.S. Ambassador Julie Finley
said the United States is encouraged by the steps that Aliyev has
taken to ensure free and fair elections, citing in particular his
May 11 Election Decree.
"Such elections will depend on balanced media coverage, peaceful
campaign rallies, and prevention of election fraud, including allowing
domestic nonpartisan observers to monitor the elections," said Finley,
the permanent U.S. representative to the OSCE, responding to remarks
to the Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, by Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
"The United States has heard reports of cases where organizers of
regional campaign rallies have had problems receiving timely permits,"
she said, calling on local and regional authorities in Azerbaijan to
allow peaceful political rallies.
Finley also reiterated U.S. support for the earliest possible
resolution of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, over which Armenia
and Azerbaijan fought a bloody war from 1990 to 1994 after the
predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave attempted to break away from
Soviet Azerbaijan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Armenian President
Robert Kocharian and Aliyev August 25, just prior to a meeting of the
leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Russia's
Volga River city of Kazan, to urge progress toward a settlement. (See
article.)
The U.S. State Department has a fact sheet available summarizing the
U.S. position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In her phone call to Aliyev, Rice emphasized "the importance of free
and fair parliamentary elections this November in Azerbaijan, and
noted his important role in this," according to the State Department.
Following is Finley's statement as provided by the United States
Mission to the OSCE:
(begin transcript)
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna, Austria
September 6, 2005
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO
REMARKS BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN
TO THE SPECIAL PERMANENT COUNCIL
As delivered by Ambassador Julie Finley
to the Permanent Council
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We welcome Foreign Minister Mammadyarov to the Permanent Council,
and express our appreciation for his remarks here today. We commend
the economic progress to which he has referred.
The United States strongly supports efforts to resolve the conflict
in Nagorno Karabakh as early as possible. As a Minsk Co-Chair,
we have been actively involved in the ongoing negotiations. We hope
that recent discussions in Kazan between the Presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia bear fruit. Resolution of the conflict would benefit all
citizens of the region.
We strongly support the efforts by Azerbaijan to hold free and fair
elections in November. We are encouraged by the steps that President
Aliyev has taken in this regard, and point particularly to the
President's Election Decree of May 11th that sets the stage for the
elections. We urge President Aliyev and his government to continue on
a path that demonstrates their commitment to Azerbaijan's democratic
future, and to take all necessary steps to ensure the success of
these elections.
We hope all members of the Government of Azerbaijan will stand by the
President and support his goal of elections that meet international
standards. Such elections will depend on balanced media coverage,
peaceful campaign rallies, and prevention of election fraud, including
allowing domestic nonpartisan observers to monitor the elections. Every
voter needs an ID card, and we support Government efforts to ensure
that every eligible voter can participate.
The new television channel, "Public TV," went on air on August 28th.
The United States hopes it will offer fair and balanced coverage. We
urge the channel to focus on unbiased coverage of all political
parties in the campaign.
Mr. Chairman, the United States has heard reports of cases where
organizers of regional campaign rallies have had problems receiving
timely permits. We call on local and regional authorities in Azerbaijan
to allow peaceful political rallies. These are an integral part of
any political campaign.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the United States is hopeful that recent
amendments to the election code will help ensure that the Government
can effectively prosecute election fraud. Key to this effort will the
prompt response by the Prosecutor General and the Central Election
Commission to complaints forwarded to them.
Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State.)
Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.
State Department
September 7, 2005
The United States is urging Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his
government to continue on a path that demonstrates their commitment
to Azerbaijan's democratic future and to take all necessary steps to
ensure the success of the upcoming November elections.
Addressing a special session of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) September 6, U.S. Ambassador Julie Finley
said the United States is encouraged by the steps that Aliyev has
taken to ensure free and fair elections, citing in particular his
May 11 Election Decree.
"Such elections will depend on balanced media coverage, peaceful
campaign rallies, and prevention of election fraud, including allowing
domestic nonpartisan observers to monitor the elections," said Finley,
the permanent U.S. representative to the OSCE, responding to remarks
to the Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, by Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
"The United States has heard reports of cases where organizers of
regional campaign rallies have had problems receiving timely permits,"
she said, calling on local and regional authorities in Azerbaijan to
allow peaceful political rallies.
Finley also reiterated U.S. support for the earliest possible
resolution of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, over which Armenia
and Azerbaijan fought a bloody war from 1990 to 1994 after the
predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave attempted to break away from
Soviet Azerbaijan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Armenian President
Robert Kocharian and Aliyev August 25, just prior to a meeting of the
leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Russia's
Volga River city of Kazan, to urge progress toward a settlement. (See
article.)
The U.S. State Department has a fact sheet available summarizing the
U.S. position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
In her phone call to Aliyev, Rice emphasized "the importance of free
and fair parliamentary elections this November in Azerbaijan, and
noted his important role in this," according to the State Department.
Following is Finley's statement as provided by the United States
Mission to the OSCE:
(begin transcript)
United States Mission to the OSCE
Vienna, Austria
September 6, 2005
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO
REMARKS BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN
TO THE SPECIAL PERMANENT COUNCIL
As delivered by Ambassador Julie Finley
to the Permanent Council
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We welcome Foreign Minister Mammadyarov to the Permanent Council,
and express our appreciation for his remarks here today. We commend
the economic progress to which he has referred.
The United States strongly supports efforts to resolve the conflict
in Nagorno Karabakh as early as possible. As a Minsk Co-Chair,
we have been actively involved in the ongoing negotiations. We hope
that recent discussions in Kazan between the Presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia bear fruit. Resolution of the conflict would benefit all
citizens of the region.
We strongly support the efforts by Azerbaijan to hold free and fair
elections in November. We are encouraged by the steps that President
Aliyev has taken in this regard, and point particularly to the
President's Election Decree of May 11th that sets the stage for the
elections. We urge President Aliyev and his government to continue on
a path that demonstrates their commitment to Azerbaijan's democratic
future, and to take all necessary steps to ensure the success of
these elections.
We hope all members of the Government of Azerbaijan will stand by the
President and support his goal of elections that meet international
standards. Such elections will depend on balanced media coverage,
peaceful campaign rallies, and prevention of election fraud, including
allowing domestic nonpartisan observers to monitor the elections. Every
voter needs an ID card, and we support Government efforts to ensure
that every eligible voter can participate.
The new television channel, "Public TV," went on air on August 28th.
The United States hopes it will offer fair and balanced coverage. We
urge the channel to focus on unbiased coverage of all political
parties in the campaign.
Mr. Chairman, the United States has heard reports of cases where
organizers of regional campaign rallies have had problems receiving
timely permits. We call on local and regional authorities in Azerbaijan
to allow peaceful political rallies. These are an integral part of
any political campaign.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, the United States is hopeful that recent
amendments to the election code will help ensure that the Government
can effectively prosecute election fraud. Key to this effort will the
prompt response by the Prosecutor General and the Central Election
Commission to complaints forwarded to them.
Thank you.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs,
U.S. Department of State.)