Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 18
By Aygun Badalova - Trend:
Azerbaijan has a very important story to tell the world, in particular about multiculturalism, tolerance and interfaith relations, UK parliament member, former defense minister, Sir Peter Luff believes.
In an interview with Trend on Sept. 18, Sir Luff, who is on a visit to Baku, said multiculturalism, tolerance and interfaith relations are widely appreciated in the outside world.
He believes the problem for Azerbaijan is that the world media, particularly in the West, have a short tension span and they can move on very quickly from one thing to another.
"Even the Syrian war is forgotten now," Sir Peter Luff said.
He added that the events that took place 21 years ago in Nagorno-Karabakh attract less attention today, but it is very important they do not, because what happened then and what is happening now in Ukraine are very similar.
Another UK parliament member, Sir Tony Baldry believes that Baku is an incredibly impressive city.
"I have been very impressed by Azerbaijan's development and what the country has achieved," Sir Baldry, who is also visiting Baku, told Trend.
He added that Azerbaijan is clearly a country which is also seeking to ensure that the incomes from oil and gas are invested in schools and education of future generations.
Sir Baldry is a member of the British parliament for North Oxfordshire. He held various ministerial posts from 1990, serving as minister of state in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
He also served as the state minister in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He was a representative of the Church of England in the House of Commons.
Touching upon the relations between the UK and Azerbaijan, Sir Baldry noted that the UK is interested in deepening relations with Azerbaijan in different spheres.
"Relations between the United Kingdom and Azerbaijan are very good," he said. "We have done a lot in oil and gas sphere."
At the same time, he added, Azerbaijan is interested in diversification of its economy, and the UK has the expertise in many areas, other than oil and gas.
"We, as the UK parliamentarians, are here to see what we can do to deepen our relations further," Sir Tony Baldry stressed.
He also mentioned the education as one of the spheres where Azerbaijan and the UK are interested in expanding relations.
"English has become a language that many people want to learn, many universities in Azerbaijan are teaching in English," Sir Tony Baldry added.
"So, we are also interested in what else can be done to enhance relationship between the educational system in Azerbaijan and education in the UK, and how we will build and develop these links," he said. "All of us, in different ways, are trying to introduce policies that can enhance science, technology, engineering, mathematics into schools."
At the same time, Rector of London Academy of Diplomacy Nabil Ayad, who is also on a visit to Baku, noted that a great revolution in development of education is being seen in Azerbaijan.
"I have been training many Azerbaijani diplomats in London for a number of years," Ayad told Trend. "We know that the country is moving fast, and education is a priority for the country's president."
It should be noted that the United Kingdom is one of the biggest foreign investors in Azerbaijan.
Over 100 British companies operate in the country.