Azeri Envoy To U.S. Defends Aliyev Victory
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 October 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azeri Envoy To U.S. Defends Aliyev Victory, 22 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/52711fe94.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Azerbaijan's ambassador to the United States, Elin Suleymanov, has acknowledged that his country's October 9 presidential poll suffered irregularities and problems but said the election of Ilham Aliyev to a third presidential term came as "no surprise."
In an opinion piece published by "The Washington Times" newspaper on October 21, Suleymanov called on Washington to preserve its partnership with Baku in fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and promoting Europe's energy security. It also called for the two sides to "continue making news by breaking existing convenient stereotypes, not by imposing new ones."
The Obama administration said earlier that the Azerbaijani vote had fallen short of international standards.
On October 21, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Richard Morningstar issued a statement saying that Washington was looking forward to working closely with Aliyev's government. The statement added, "As with any partner, we have our differences, but we also have many shared critical interests."
The State Department reacted to the Azerbaijani election by saying the United States "conclude this election fell short of international standards."
Aliyev was sworn in for his third term on October 19.
