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APA, Azerbaijan
Nov 24 2012
Azeri authorities warn Mexico over plans to remove statue
[Translated from Azeri]
Azerbaijan may take its embassy and investment projects elsewhere,
officials have said as Mexican authorities discuss removing the late
Azerbaijani president's statue from the central park in Mexico City.
In an interview with the APA news agency on 24 November Elman
Abdullayev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said that
the statue to Heydar Aliyev is a symbol of friendship and implied that
the Armenian diaspora was at work. "One gets the impression that the
Armenian diaspora is tapping into all resources and connections in
order to hinder the communication of Azerbaijan's realities to the
world," the agency quoted him as saying.
Abdullayev said that as a strong regional state Azerbaijan is
attractive for many countries. "Along with investing in other
countries, Azerbaijan is itself interested in investing abroad. We
believe that it is important to preserve such partnership relations."
The statue to Heydar Aliyev, who is the father of incumbent President
Ilham Aliyev, was erected in the park refurbished with the funds of
the Azerbaijani embassy in the country and the relevant contract
states that the statue has to remain in the park for 99 years.
Earlier, Russia's RIA Novosti quoted the Azerbaijani ambassador to
Mexico, Ilqar Muxtarov, as saying that if the statue is removed,
Azerbaijan may give up on investment projects in Mexico worth 4bn
dollars. "If the statue is removed, there is no doubt that this will
cause bilateral relations to deteriorate. Also the envisaged
investments will not materialize. The last step will be the closure of
the Azerbaijani embassy in the country," RIA Novosti quoted him as
saying.
The Azerbaijani embassy in Mexico represents Azerbaijan in six Latin
American countries. Muxtarov said that diplomatic relations will not
be severed, but the embassy may be moved to one of the other
countries.
Web user comments
A report posted on the Azeri service of Radio Liberty on 24 November
attracted 25 user comments as of 29 November.
User "Farid": "We must learn this lesson of wisdom from the Mexican
people. As Ilham Aliyev said 'This is unacceptable' and together with
this statue, this regime has to be dismantled!!!!!"
User "bakili": "I wonder how much kickback the embassy received from
the 5m dollars spent on the refurbishment of the park in Mexico. When
there is money for us sacred issues take the backseat".
User "Elvin": "I was happy from my heart for this news. Let the day
come when all statues are removed".
User "Faiq": "Let the day come when Heydar's statues in Azerbaijan are
removed..."
Four users commented on another report posted on the Radio Liberty
website on 26 November.
User "aysiay": "Four billion dollars are being invested in Mexico
because the statue of Ilham's father was erected. The nation is
sinking and perishing, but look at their obsession with the statue".
User "Azar": "If a country spends one-fourth of its budget on one
statue we can think of the following: the state is gambling the
budget".
User "cenub": "We agree. Let them pay 1m to each household and place
it down our street. We will confirm in notary's office that we will
not demolish it as long as Ilham I is in power".
[Translated from Azeri]
Nov 24 2012
Azeri authorities warn Mexico over plans to remove statue
[Translated from Azeri]
Azerbaijan may take its embassy and investment projects elsewhere,
officials have said as Mexican authorities discuss removing the late
Azerbaijani president's statue from the central park in Mexico City.
In an interview with the APA news agency on 24 November Elman
Abdullayev, spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said that
the statue to Heydar Aliyev is a symbol of friendship and implied that
the Armenian diaspora was at work. "One gets the impression that the
Armenian diaspora is tapping into all resources and connections in
order to hinder the communication of Azerbaijan's realities to the
world," the agency quoted him as saying.
Abdullayev said that as a strong regional state Azerbaijan is
attractive for many countries. "Along with investing in other
countries, Azerbaijan is itself interested in investing abroad. We
believe that it is important to preserve such partnership relations."
The statue to Heydar Aliyev, who is the father of incumbent President
Ilham Aliyev, was erected in the park refurbished with the funds of
the Azerbaijani embassy in the country and the relevant contract
states that the statue has to remain in the park for 99 years.
Earlier, Russia's RIA Novosti quoted the Azerbaijani ambassador to
Mexico, Ilqar Muxtarov, as saying that if the statue is removed,
Azerbaijan may give up on investment projects in Mexico worth 4bn
dollars. "If the statue is removed, there is no doubt that this will
cause bilateral relations to deteriorate. Also the envisaged
investments will not materialize. The last step will be the closure of
the Azerbaijani embassy in the country," RIA Novosti quoted him as
saying.
The Azerbaijani embassy in Mexico represents Azerbaijan in six Latin
American countries. Muxtarov said that diplomatic relations will not
be severed, but the embassy may be moved to one of the other
countries.
Web user comments
A report posted on the Azeri service of Radio Liberty on 24 November
attracted 25 user comments as of 29 November.
User "Farid": "We must learn this lesson of wisdom from the Mexican
people. As Ilham Aliyev said 'This is unacceptable' and together with
this statue, this regime has to be dismantled!!!!!"
User "bakili": "I wonder how much kickback the embassy received from
the 5m dollars spent on the refurbishment of the park in Mexico. When
there is money for us sacred issues take the backseat".
User "Elvin": "I was happy from my heart for this news. Let the day
come when all statues are removed".
User "Faiq": "Let the day come when Heydar's statues in Azerbaijan are
removed..."
Four users commented on another report posted on the Radio Liberty
website on 26 November.
User "aysiay": "Four billion dollars are being invested in Mexico
because the statue of Ilham's father was erected. The nation is
sinking and perishing, but look at their obsession with the statue".
User "Azar": "If a country spends one-fourth of its budget on one
statue we can think of the following: the state is gambling the
budget".
User "cenub": "We agree. Let them pay 1m to each household and place
it down our street. We will confirm in notary's office that we will
not demolish it as long as Ilham I is in power".
[Translated from Azeri]