The West does not like the independent policy of Azerbaijan, so now it is engaged in gross interference in the internal affairs of the republic, the head of Dagestan, Ramazan Abdullatipov, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council, Ilyas Umakhanov, and LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said in an exclusive interview for Vestnik Kavkaza at the opening of the Moscow Cathedral Mosque.
Thus, according to Ilyas Umakhanov, the West is hostile towards any tendency by independent states to reaffirm their sovereignty. "At the same time, it raises the topics of human rights or provocative ideas, instantly inflating the hype around it. The West even uses the parliamentary community for these improper purposes, particularly PACE," he said.
The pressure on Azerbaijan fits into a similar "conventional Western policy." "Realizing that there will be elections to the parliament of the republic in November, the West attempted to discredit Azerbaijan, but it can be seen not only by us, but also by every unbiased person. Azerbaijan is developing, it is undergoing positive changes, and the West is trying to suggest otherwise," Ilyas Umakhanov said.
Ramazan Abdulatipov linked the anti-Azerbaijani speeches in Europe with Russian-Azerbaijani relations. "Today Azerbaijan is one of the most equipped, prosperous parts of the former Soviet Union. Probably the friendship with Russia, which President Ilham Aliyev does not push away, keeping a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin, does not satisfy many Western leaders," the head of Dagestan noted.
"The main value of Azerbaijan is its consistently independent policy, a reasonable foreign policy in the region and in the Muslim world. Therefore, I think the people of Azerbaijan, led by Ilham Aliyev, will overcome everything, and then the Republic will be one of the prosperous countries. We are interested in it, because they are our neighbors and our brothers," Ramadan Abdulatipov stressed.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky drew attention to the fact that Azerbaijan did not tolerate such pressure from Western institutions. "They are trying to point to Azerbaijan how to respect human rights, what democratic standards it should have - but this is a gross interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan. Therefore, the members of the Azerbaijani Majlis decided to suspend all the negotiations with the deputies of the European Parliament to protest against such brazen interference in the affairs of Azerbaijan in such a spiritual field as human rights. And they are right," the Russian politician concluded.
The LDPR leader added that the republic itself, and its management, as opposed to the statements made by the West, observe the rules of the democratic structure of the state. "Azerbaijan is a good republic, it has a wonderful President Ilham Aliyev. I knew his father, Heydar Aliyev, and last year I visited the republic," Vladimir Zhirinovsky said.
