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Elmar Chakhtakhtinski, the chairman of the organization AZAD (Azerbaijani Americans for Democracy) in his interview to the newspaper Azadlig expressed his attitude towards the anti-Western rhetoric of the official Baku and bilateral relations noting that US-Azerbaijani relations are built on a number of myths, the biggest of which is about Azerbaijan's strategic significance for America, Azerbaijani information agency Turan reports.

According to the article, Chakhtakhtinski said that the strategic partners of the US are the major states – European countries, Japan, Egypt and others that maintain real power, large population, military economical might; yet Azerbaijan has not got these all. That is why one cannot speak about a strategic partnership between the US and Azerbaijan. However, official Baku conceits that the US supports it in everything and therefore turns a blind eye to the human rights violations. 

''If Azerbaijan really gets into a difficult situation, Washington will hardly provide Baku with the expected support. The reason is that the current relations are built on the lobbyists' activities who take money to create myths about the country's significance and role for Washington,'' Chakhtakhtinski said.

He noted that the authorities in Baku actually eliminate the pro-Western powers and rely on the groups that are inclined to dictatorship and put up with corruption and looting. The Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland's visit to Baku took place in these very circumstances, which was a mistake, according to Chakhtakhtinski. 

As the article has it, Chakhtakhtinski also stressed that the corruption, continuous violations of human rights and other activities of the authorities of Azerbaijan have spoiled the country image so badly that it will become a serious obstacle to get the support of the West in case a war breaks out. 

''Remarkably, there are individuals in Washington who support Azerbaijan's point in Karabakh conflict, yet they turned into unwanted people for Baku only because of criticizing it,” Chakhtakhtinski stated.

The chairman of the organization AZAD is convinced that sanctions should be imposed on the Azerbaijani officials, beginning with the highest ones. Elmar Chakhtakhtinski also highlighted that the new US ambassador to Azerbaijan has not been seen at Heydar Aliyev’s monument so far, unlike his predecessor.

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