Union of Azeri communities of CIS and the Baltics is being created

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Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 10:12:45 +0300 (EEST)
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Subject: Union of Azeri communities of CIS and the Baltics is being created

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>

Union of Azeri communities of CIS and the Baltics is being
created


(Unofficial translation from Russian by MINELRES)


A union of Azeri communities of CIS and the Baltics is being created.
According to Rustam Ibragimbekov, the main aim of the organisation is
to defend the rights and interests of compatriots living abroad. 

By R.Fataliev
Baku, 15 August, "Echo"

According to the information agency "Turan", Mocsow-based
"Nezavisimaya gazeta" has published an appeal of an initiative group
to conduct a forum of Azeri communities of CIS and the Baltics. The
appeal is addressed to the leadership of Azerbaijan, political
parties, scientists, cultural figures and business people. More than
three million Azeri compatriots are now working abroad. Most of them
are living in Russia and other countries of CIS and the Baltics. The
initiative group has taken up the task of uniting the efforts of all
compatriots into the Union of Azeri communities of CIS and the
Baltics, in order to assist the young Azeri State in entering the
world arena, overcoming economic problems, protecting its territorial
integrity. 

The appeal points out that the Azeri communities lack unity. While our
communities abroad are passive, malevolent persons use mass media to
create and image of an Azeri huckster and a myth of backwardness of
our people. In these circumstances, Azeri culture has to be
propagated. The appeal has already been signed by a playwright Rustam
Ibragimbekov, "Crocus International" president Araz Agalarov, Moscow
State University Law Faculty reader Asif Amirov as well as more than
40 representatives of Azeri intelligentsia. The press-service [of the
initiative group of] has informed "Echo" that the decision to
establish the Union will be taken on the forum of Azeri communities of
CIS and the Baltics. According to the press-service, one of the main
tasks of the Union is to protect Azeris living in abroad. The Union
also intends to conduct cultural propaganda of Azerbaijan. As for
assistance from the state officials, the head of the press-service
Tagi Jafarov does not expect that much help from the Azeri Embassy in
Moscow, as from the official Baku. Tagi Jafarov emphasised that the
Union is a non-governmental organisation and is open to collaboration
with any organisations, regardless of their political affiliation. He
also shattered the rumours that former president of Azerbaijan Ayaz
Mutalibov might become the head of the organisation. Tagi Jafarov
stated that the initiative group does not have any enmity against Ayaz
Mutalibov, however, being a leader of a political organisation he
cannot head the Union. 

Tagi Jafarov is also sceptical about conducting the Azeri forum in
Mocsow - the idea proposed by Frank Elcaponi (another figure,
prominent within the Azeri diaspora). The initiative group believes
the world's Azeri forum has to be held in Baku. Azerbaijan's president
has recently signed a decree to conduct such a forum in Baku and the
initiative group backs this idea. Rustam Ibragimbekov, another
signatory to the appeal, has told "Echo" correspondent that not that
long ago a Congress of Azeris Living in Russia has been established.
Mamed Aliev - a famous surgeon and Russian State prize winner has been
elected the head of the Congress, while Rustam Ibragimbekov became one
of its vice-presidents. Soon after they were approached by the
representatives of other CIS countries, who told that similar
organisations and unions exist there for a long time. This fact was
one of the reasons to establish the Union. Rustam Ibragimbekov
believes that generally, the Union has two main tasks: to which would
defend the rights and interests of Azeris residing not only in CIS and
the Baltics, but throughout all of Eurasia; at the same time, the
Union will propagate Azeri culture and art. 

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