Winter 1998 (6.4)
Page 17

Aliyev, Ilham - The True Victims of War
Aliyev, Yashar - Blockades

Gasimzade - A Plea to Future Architects

Maresca - Repeal of 907 - Presidential Waiver

Taghiyev - Education for Girls - Essential for Humankind

Yashar Aliyev

Blockades "Armenia's charge against Azerbaijan for its so-called 'blockade against Armenia' is a very skillful Armenian subterfuge that has served them well, especially among uninformed Americans. Obviously, severance of communications and transport connections is an inevitable result of any military conflict between two countries. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a single state in the world that willfully provides an aggressive neighbor with energy to enable it to continue its expansionist plans. Imagine Nazi Germany complaining that the Soviet Union had cut off its energy supplies. How absurd!" Yashar Aliyev, Counselor of the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations in December 1998.

Elbey Gasimzade

A Plea to Future Architects "I have only one request of the architects who will direct and shape the architecture of Baku in the future. My hope is that they will take care not to lose the unique spirit of Baku, not to spoil the scale of our streets and not to destroy these city blocks that we have grown up to love so much." Elbey Gasimzade, Azerbaijan's City Architect in the Mayor's office for the past nine years and Vice President of the Architects' Union.

John Maresca

Repeal of 907 - Presidential Waiver "Section 907, passed in 1992, bans U.S. aid to the government of Azerbaijan. It was then, and still is, grossly unfair, since it is based on the incorrect assumption that Azerbaijan has been conducting 'offensive uses of force' in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Such denial of aid also goes against the American tradition of alleviating suffering to all victims of any conflict. This U.S. legislation undoubtedly contributes to the prolongation of the conflict and the suffering. "Section 907 must either be repealed by Congress or waived by the President as soon as possible. This is an opportunity for wise Presidential leadership and should be seized upon as soon as possible for the benefit of all the peoples of the Caucasus." John J. Maresca, former U.S. Ambassador and Mediator of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict (1992), at a conference on U.S.-Azerbaijan relations sponsored by the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. on October 2, 1998. Ambassador Maresca is currently the Vice-President for International Relations of Unocal Corporation.

Ilham Aliyev

The True Victims of War "What Section 907 [of the Freedom Support Act] means to Azerbaijan is that we are the only country among the 15 Republics of the former Soviet Union which is being deprived of direct U.S. assistance. For instance, the Armenian government gets approximately $100 million each year from the United States. Our government receives nothing. "Azeris want to know why the Armenian lobby is so influential. What is the U.S. Congress afraid of? Is this lobby stronger than justice or truth or even elementary logic? Is it more important than future gigantic joint projects between Azerbaijan and the United States? "If we consider the consequences of this war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is obvious that Azerbaijan, not Armenia, is the victim of this war. Nearly 20 percent of our land, not theirs, is being occupied by foreign troops. Six of our regions, not theirs, outside of Nagorno-Karabakh are under occupation. Nearly one million of our people, not theirs, live as refugees. And our historical heritage, our buildings, our homes, our schools, our mosques, our cemeteries and the graves of our ancestors, not theirs, are the ones being destroyed by vandals." Ilham Aliyev, Executive Vice President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan in Washington, D.C., speaking at a luncheon at the Washington Institute for Near Eastern Policy on November 17, 1998.

From Azerbaijan International (6.4) Winter 1998.
© Azerbaijan International 1998. All rights reserved.

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