Azerbaijan, Baku, 23 May / corr. Trend I. Alizade/ The Russia community of Azerbaijan will support Ilham Aliyev, the candidate from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party (NAP), in the upcoming presidential elections in October 2008. "The Russian community will hold its conference after the election campaign begins. The conference will decide to support the candidate from NAP Ilham Aliyev," Mikhail Zabelin, the chairman of the Russian community in Azerbaijan, vice president of Azerbaijan-Russia society and MP, said in his exclusive interview with Trend .
The number of the Russians living in Azerbaijan is 100,000 (according to 1999 census - 141,000). Majority of them live in Baku, Sumgayit and Ganda.
The presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be held on 15 October 2008. NAP will nominate the current President Ilham Aliyev for the presidential elections. "During Ilham Aliyev's presidency, the Russians living in Azerbaijan did not face any problems concerning their origin. Problems of the Russians are just the same as that of the Azerbaijanis. Therefore, the Russians in Azerbaijan do not see alternative to Ilham Aliyev in the presidential elections," head of the community said.
According to Zabelin, the decision to be adopted in the conference of the community will reflect the position of all the Russians, as they choose the delegates for the conference themselves.
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