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news.az, Azerbaijan
July 30 2010
Armenians do not want Bryza's candidacy to be ratified
Fri 30 July 2010 | 13:20 GMT Text size:
Altay Goyushov News.Az interviews Altay Goyushov, Visiting Professor,
Center for Near Eastern Studies, University of California.
It is a pleasure to know that our countryman works at one of the
influential universities of the United States. What exactly do you do
at the university?
I have been an invited professor teaching Azerbaijani history,
literature, culture and language for the past two years. I am planning
to continue this work.
Is the interest to Azerbaijan and its language and culture high in the
United States?
I would like to note that the level of knowledge about Azerbaijan has
increased in the United States recently. Today the number of people
that have some information about Azerbaijan is higher compared to
previous years. Certainly, specialists show the greatest interest in
studying our country. The strategically important geographical
situation of Azerbaijan, its historical ties with Iran, Turkey and
Russia and the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia, as well as
energy issues are raising interests to Azerbaijan.
The interest to Azerbaijan has risen significantly with the opening of
the general consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles and the further
activity of the general consul in different regions of California,
especially in academic circles.
Diaspora representatives stress the great deficit of information of
Azerbaijan. What can you say about the attitude to independent
Azerbaijan especially in California where you live and where the
Armenian community is especially big?
America is a big country and here you can come across different
people, each with his own views. Certainly, it is possible to come
across people who really love Azerbaijan and respect it, but at the
same time, you also see people who have a negative attitude to our
country under the influence of well-known circles.
At the same time, I agree that the number of people who have
sufficient information about Azerbaijan is still not so high in
America. This is clear since this picture is observed not only on
Azerbaijan. It is connected with the specifics of education and way of
thinking in the United States. In addition, the circumstance that the
history of Azerbaijan is relatively small also plays its role here.
Anyway, the activity of diaspora organizations, either in California
or in overall America, is effective. It is correct that the number of
those coming from Azerbaijan is not so high in the United States but
there are quite many compatriots who come from Southern Azerbaijan.
Diaspora representatives hold sessions and the process of their
organization is underway. As I have already mentioned, the great
achievements in this sense are obvious and I am sure that we will
witness greater achievements in a definite period of time.
Do you see a political motivation in the absence of the US ambassador
in Azerbaijan for more than a year or this is a purely technical
issue?
Here it is important to pay attention to official statements.
According to them, the ongoings are a purely technical moment and if
we speak about continued absence of ambassadors, similar picture is
observed in some other countries. On the other hand, the protracted
appointment of the ambassador in Baku is not surprising. Azerbaijan
maintained mutual relations with the old administration, the attitude
of that administration and republicans, overall, proved the strategic
nature that they attached to our region. Meanwhile, the new
administration seems to hold studies still. It seems that the
priorities will be chosen on the basis of this observation and this
will take time. The ambassador will be appointed in line with this.
These issues seem to be interrelated. This approach is demonstrated
not only on Azerbaijan. For example, even people in neighbor Georgia
tell us that the current leadership of the United States has a
different attitude to them.
Meanwhile, I think serious changes are currently felt in this
direction. The visits of US Defense and State Secretaries to our
region, the process of enlivening related to process of ambassador
appointment shows that this issue is of strategic importance and the
matter of lack of attention is already being settled.
And what do you think about Bryza's candidacy for position of the US
ambassador in Azerbaijan?
We all know that Bryza is an experienced diplomat who has been working
in our region for a long time. I believe that this is a person who
meets our national interests. He knows the region well, he is aware of
the processes ongoing here and I think he is one of the diplomats who
have comparatively objective views of regional problems. It is not an
accident that our neighbors do not want Bryza's candidacy for
ambassador to be ratified and therefore they want to avert this
decision by using all means of influence they have.
In this respect, I believe Bryza's appointment meets our interests.
His appointment means that the presidential administration really
shows a strategic interest to our region, in particular, Azerbaijan
and Washington knows whom to appoint for this position and how to move
towards positive changes. Therefore, as I have mentioned, our
neighbors want to hamper this. During the senate hearings on Bryza's
candidacy we saw the zeal of the pro-Armenian senators in addressing
him different, often unreal questions.
U.U.
News.Az
From: A. Papazian
July 30 2010
Armenians do not want Bryza's candidacy to be ratified
Fri 30 July 2010 | 13:20 GMT Text size:
Altay Goyushov News.Az interviews Altay Goyushov, Visiting Professor,
Center for Near Eastern Studies, University of California.
It is a pleasure to know that our countryman works at one of the
influential universities of the United States. What exactly do you do
at the university?
I have been an invited professor teaching Azerbaijani history,
literature, culture and language for the past two years. I am planning
to continue this work.
Is the interest to Azerbaijan and its language and culture high in the
United States?
I would like to note that the level of knowledge about Azerbaijan has
increased in the United States recently. Today the number of people
that have some information about Azerbaijan is higher compared to
previous years. Certainly, specialists show the greatest interest in
studying our country. The strategically important geographical
situation of Azerbaijan, its historical ties with Iran, Turkey and
Russia and the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia, as well as
energy issues are raising interests to Azerbaijan.
The interest to Azerbaijan has risen significantly with the opening of
the general consulate of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles and the further
activity of the general consul in different regions of California,
especially in academic circles.
Diaspora representatives stress the great deficit of information of
Azerbaijan. What can you say about the attitude to independent
Azerbaijan especially in California where you live and where the
Armenian community is especially big?
America is a big country and here you can come across different
people, each with his own views. Certainly, it is possible to come
across people who really love Azerbaijan and respect it, but at the
same time, you also see people who have a negative attitude to our
country under the influence of well-known circles.
At the same time, I agree that the number of people who have
sufficient information about Azerbaijan is still not so high in
America. This is clear since this picture is observed not only on
Azerbaijan. It is connected with the specifics of education and way of
thinking in the United States. In addition, the circumstance that the
history of Azerbaijan is relatively small also plays its role here.
Anyway, the activity of diaspora organizations, either in California
or in overall America, is effective. It is correct that the number of
those coming from Azerbaijan is not so high in the United States but
there are quite many compatriots who come from Southern Azerbaijan.
Diaspora representatives hold sessions and the process of their
organization is underway. As I have already mentioned, the great
achievements in this sense are obvious and I am sure that we will
witness greater achievements in a definite period of time.
Do you see a political motivation in the absence of the US ambassador
in Azerbaijan for more than a year or this is a purely technical
issue?
Here it is important to pay attention to official statements.
According to them, the ongoings are a purely technical moment and if
we speak about continued absence of ambassadors, similar picture is
observed in some other countries. On the other hand, the protracted
appointment of the ambassador in Baku is not surprising. Azerbaijan
maintained mutual relations with the old administration, the attitude
of that administration and republicans, overall, proved the strategic
nature that they attached to our region. Meanwhile, the new
administration seems to hold studies still. It seems that the
priorities will be chosen on the basis of this observation and this
will take time. The ambassador will be appointed in line with this.
These issues seem to be interrelated. This approach is demonstrated
not only on Azerbaijan. For example, even people in neighbor Georgia
tell us that the current leadership of the United States has a
different attitude to them.
Meanwhile, I think serious changes are currently felt in this
direction. The visits of US Defense and State Secretaries to our
region, the process of enlivening related to process of ambassador
appointment shows that this issue is of strategic importance and the
matter of lack of attention is already being settled.
And what do you think about Bryza's candidacy for position of the US
ambassador in Azerbaijan?
We all know that Bryza is an experienced diplomat who has been working
in our region for a long time. I believe that this is a person who
meets our national interests. He knows the region well, he is aware of
the processes ongoing here and I think he is one of the diplomats who
have comparatively objective views of regional problems. It is not an
accident that our neighbors do not want Bryza's candidacy for
ambassador to be ratified and therefore they want to avert this
decision by using all means of influence they have.
In this respect, I believe Bryza's appointment meets our interests.
His appointment means that the presidential administration really
shows a strategic interest to our region, in particular, Azerbaijan
and Washington knows whom to appoint for this position and how to move
towards positive changes. Therefore, as I have mentioned, our
neighbors want to hamper this. During the senate hearings on Bryza's
candidacy we saw the zeal of the pro-Armenian senators in addressing
him different, often unreal questions.
U.U.
News.Az
From: A. Papazian