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RUSSIAN "THREATS" TO AZERBAIJAN
Yeni Musavat
Nov 30 2012
Azerbaijan
[Translated from Azeri]
The Baku-based daily, Yeni Musavat, quoted the Russian Lenta.ru news
website listing several ways that Russia is exerting "pressure" on
Azerbaijan, including the use of newly-created pro-Russian Azerbaijani
diaspora and Lezgin minority groups in the country. The paper also
spoke about Russia's media war against Azerbaijan.
Lenta.ru also wrote that the Kremlin is seeking to stir up the
situation in Azerbaijan due to its "imperialistic ambitions",
especially ahead of the 2013 presidential elections in Azerbaijan.
Lenta.ru said that Russia is unhappy with several issues, including
problems related to the lease of Qabala RLS to Russia and the planned
construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
Ethnic card
The paper quoted a passage from Lenta.ru saying that a Kremlin plan
to divide Azerbaijan using Lezgi separatism would be the worst case
scenario for Azerbaijan.
The website recalled Moscow's decision to host the "Lezgi Federal
National-Cultural Autonomy" and "Avar Federal National-Cultural
Autonomy" conferences, adding that those conference had been supported
by the Russian Foreign Ministry and Kremlin. The website said that
almost half a year after the conferences were held, Azerbaijani media
are still concerned by Moscow's apparent show of support for these
ethnic groups. Meanwhile, a recent visit by Russian Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin to Azerbaijan's Zaqatala District, where
Lezgis and Avars live in large numbers, has been viewed in Azerbaijan
as part of "Russia's separatist activities against Azerbaijan",
the website said.
Union of Billionaires
Lenta.ru also focused on a newly-established Azerbaijani diaspora
organization dubbed the "Union of Billionaires", which has drawn much
criticism in Azerbaijan.
The website said that the recent deterioration of ties between
Azerbaijan and Russia started on 28 September after the creation of
the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations in Russia. The author of the
article cited the Azerbaijani haqqin.az website as saying that the
administration of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev directly orders
articles to be written attacking this organization. The website
recalled that the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of Russia is
chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov who was known
for his pro-Russian stance.
Lenta.ru went on to quote political analyst Rasim Musabayov as saying
that the creation of the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of Russia
was politically motivated and that the organization's activities
opposed Azerbaijani interests. It was also mentioned in the Lenta.ru
article that Azerbaijan was angered by a meeting of a member of the
organization, Soyun Sadiqov, with the Union of Armenians in Russia,
which Baku considers to have been initiated by the Kremlin.
Military intervention
The Lenta.ru article also speculated about a possible Russian military
attack against Azerbaijan. It said that Baku is afraid of a repetition
of the 2008 Georgian "scenario" in Azerbaijan, adding that during
the war against Georgia, Russia had counted on "separatist movements".
However, the website said that such a scenario is less likely given
Azerbaijan's significant energy resources and its role in the region.
The website said that the lack of distinct boundaries on the Caspian
Sea is another factor that could contribute to increasing tensions in
the region. It noted that both Russia and Azerbaijan are strengthening
their military power on the Caspian Sea.
"Media war"
"One can understand to what extent the [Azerbaijani] government
worries about the 'northern threat' by [reading] the article published
[recently] in the official state newspaper Azarbaycan," Yeni Musavat
wrote. The opposition paper wrote that the newspaper Azarbaycan blamed
"certain circles" within Russia for disseminating critical reports
about Azerbaijan in the British press.
"The author has learned that [former] KGB officer Aleksandr [Alexander]
Lebedev, who lives in London, is behind several British media outlets
- The Independent, The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition, The Mail
on Sunday [actually, Lebedev owns the London Evening Standard,
The Independent, the Independent on Sunday and the i newspaper] -
that harshly criticize the Azerbaijani government on an almost daily
basis," the opposition paper went on to say. It added that criticism
of the Azerbaijani government in the aforementioned media outlets is
initiated by "anti-Azerbaijani circles" in Russia.
The opposition paper noted that Azerbaijani-Russian ties became tense
after Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in March 2012. The
report noted that a meeting of the CIS heads of state will be held in
Ashgabat on 5 December and whether or not Putin will decide to hold a
bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will be an
indication of Russia's policy towards Azerbaijan. The report recalled
that at the last meeting of CIS countries held in summer 2012, Putin
did not hold a meeting with Ilham Aliyev.
[Translated from Azeri]
Yeni Musavat
Nov 30 2012
Azerbaijan
[Translated from Azeri]
The Baku-based daily, Yeni Musavat, quoted the Russian Lenta.ru news
website listing several ways that Russia is exerting "pressure" on
Azerbaijan, including the use of newly-created pro-Russian Azerbaijani
diaspora and Lezgin minority groups in the country. The paper also
spoke about Russia's media war against Azerbaijan.
Lenta.ru also wrote that the Kremlin is seeking to stir up the
situation in Azerbaijan due to its "imperialistic ambitions",
especially ahead of the 2013 presidential elections in Azerbaijan.
Lenta.ru said that Russia is unhappy with several issues, including
problems related to the lease of Qabala RLS to Russia and the planned
construction of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
Ethnic card
The paper quoted a passage from Lenta.ru saying that a Kremlin plan
to divide Azerbaijan using Lezgi separatism would be the worst case
scenario for Azerbaijan.
The website recalled Moscow's decision to host the "Lezgi Federal
National-Cultural Autonomy" and "Avar Federal National-Cultural
Autonomy" conferences, adding that those conference had been supported
by the Russian Foreign Ministry and Kremlin. The website said that
almost half a year after the conferences were held, Azerbaijani media
are still concerned by Moscow's apparent show of support for these
ethnic groups. Meanwhile, a recent visit by Russian Ambassador to
Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin to Azerbaijan's Zaqatala District, where
Lezgis and Avars live in large numbers, has been viewed in Azerbaijan
as part of "Russia's separatist activities against Azerbaijan",
the website said.
Union of Billionaires
Lenta.ru also focused on a newly-established Azerbaijani diaspora
organization dubbed the "Union of Billionaires", which has drawn much
criticism in Azerbaijan.
The website said that the recent deterioration of ties between
Azerbaijan and Russia started on 28 September after the creation of
the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations in Russia. The author of the
article cited the Azerbaijani haqqin.az website as saying that the
administration of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev directly orders
articles to be written attacking this organization. The website
recalled that the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of Russia is
chaired by former Deputy Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov who was known
for his pro-Russian stance.
Lenta.ru went on to quote political analyst Rasim Musabayov as saying
that the creation of the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of Russia
was politically motivated and that the organization's activities
opposed Azerbaijani interests. It was also mentioned in the Lenta.ru
article that Azerbaijan was angered by a meeting of a member of the
organization, Soyun Sadiqov, with the Union of Armenians in Russia,
which Baku considers to have been initiated by the Kremlin.
Military intervention
The Lenta.ru article also speculated about a possible Russian military
attack against Azerbaijan. It said that Baku is afraid of a repetition
of the 2008 Georgian "scenario" in Azerbaijan, adding that during
the war against Georgia, Russia had counted on "separatist movements".
However, the website said that such a scenario is less likely given
Azerbaijan's significant energy resources and its role in the region.
The website said that the lack of distinct boundaries on the Caspian
Sea is another factor that could contribute to increasing tensions in
the region. It noted that both Russia and Azerbaijan are strengthening
their military power on the Caspian Sea.
"Media war"
"One can understand to what extent the [Azerbaijani] government
worries about the 'northern threat' by [reading] the article published
[recently] in the official state newspaper Azarbaycan," Yeni Musavat
wrote. The opposition paper wrote that the newspaper Azarbaycan blamed
"certain circles" within Russia for disseminating critical reports
about Azerbaijan in the British press.
"The author has learned that [former] KGB officer Aleksandr [Alexander]
Lebedev, who lives in London, is behind several British media outlets
- The Independent, The Daily Mail and its Sunday edition, The Mail
on Sunday [actually, Lebedev owns the London Evening Standard,
The Independent, the Independent on Sunday and the i newspaper] -
that harshly criticize the Azerbaijani government on an almost daily
basis," the opposition paper went on to say. It added that criticism
of the Azerbaijani government in the aforementioned media outlets is
initiated by "anti-Azerbaijani circles" in Russia.
The opposition paper noted that Azerbaijani-Russian ties became tense
after Vladimir Putin returned to the presidency in March 2012. The
report noted that a meeting of the CIS heads of state will be held in
Ashgabat on 5 December and whether or not Putin will decide to hold a
bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will be an
indication of Russia's policy towards Azerbaijan. The report recalled
that at the last meeting of CIS countries held in summer 2012, Putin
did not hold a meeting with Ilham Aliyev.
[Translated from Azeri]