Azerbaijan, Baku, May 31 / Trend, M.Aliyev /
Azerbaijani authorities consider non-governmental organizations as partners. There are spheres, in which NGO activity is necessary, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Chief Ali Hasanov made this statement at the conference on the topic "Role of NGOs in civil society development" on Thursday.
"In the first years of independence NGOs were regarded as political organizations, and until 1998 they and the authorities have looked at each other as rivals. But by the law "On Grants", adopted in 1998, the role of NGOs, along with the authorities has increased in civil society," Hasanov said.
He said the authorities consider NGOs not only as partners, as well as executor of work to develop civil society. In this regard, the Council of State Support to NGOs under the President of Azerbaijan has been established.
"None of NGO can say that the authorities give them instructions or direct their activity. Some international NGOs, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Norwegian Organization for Human Rights consider Azerbaijan a backward African country. They believe that media and Azerbaijani NGOs should serve them. But Azerbaijani people established a democratic state even before many European countries established it, women in our country got the right to vote earlier than their countries' women," Hasanov said.
He said Azerbaijan tries to convey to the world its just voice - the voice of refugees and IDPs for already 20 years.
"Did any of these organizations, which came to the Eurovision contest, write that for 20 years Azerbaijan provides housing to refugees and IDPs, Azerbaijan builds a civilized society in the Caspian Basin?" Hasanov said.