Baku, Azerbaijan, June 3
By Samir Ali – Trend:
The protection of Armenians by US congressmen, namely, Christopher Smith and Brad Sherman, will not affect the relations between Azerbaijan and the US, Azerbaijani MP Bakhtiyar Sadigov told Trend.
The MP said that the relations between the US and Azerbaijan are long-term and are based on the interests of the two countries.
"Azerbaijan stressed that it is close to the US in the fight against terrorism and in assistance in the military operations in Afghanistan,” Sadigov said. “Azerbaijan has proved its position by its actions and work.”
“The US also constantly expresses its support to Azerbaijan, appreciates the country’s merits in Europe’s energy security, its contribution to the diversification of energy supplies to Europe,” he said.
“It is not a coincidence that a representative of the US Department of State participated in the opening ceremony of the Southern Gas Corridor, while US President Donald Trump in his letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed his readiness for further joint work," Sadigov said.
“All this testifies to the level of state relations between Azerbaijan and the US,” he said. “But it is not a secret that there is very strong Armenian lobby in the US.”
"This lobby is very active in political activity,” Sadigov said. “The lobbyists can take various congressmen, senators in hand, attract them to their side."
“For this reason, individuals from time to time make statements that do not correspond to reality and contradict the US state policy,” he added.
“Each time candidates in the presidential election in the US promise Armenians that on April 24 they will allegedly use such an expression as "Armenian genocide",” Sadigov said.
"But President Trump is the only president who has not made such a promise on the eve of the election because Trump was not nominated from the party,” he said. “Therefore, the dependence of President Trump on Armenians is not felt."
The MP said that some congressmen came under the influence of the Armenian diaspora and expressed opinions that contradicted the US policy from time to time.
"Such statements will not affect the relations between the US and Azerbaijan,” Sadigov said. “These attempts are completely unimportant. Relations between Azerbaijan and the US are being established at the state level."