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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000256 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EUR/SNEC FOR AMBASSADOR MANN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2016 
TAGS: PREL PHUM PINR ECON KDEM KISL IS IR AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT, SHEIKH UL ISLAM MEET WITH 
CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF MAJOR AMERICAN JEWISH 
ORGANIZATIONS 
 
REF: BAKU 234 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Reno L. Harnish, III, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During his private session with the 
leadership of the visiting Conference of Presidents of Major 
American Jewish Organizations (COP) on February 13, 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed disappointment 
with the outcome of his talks in Paris with President 
Kocharian over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and expressed 
hope that talks would continue.  In the session with the 
entire 70-plus member delegation, Aliyev held up Azerbaijan 
as a model for how different religious groups could live 
together peacefully, contrasting this with extremism in the 
Islamic world and "events which prevent dialogue," such as 
the events surrounding the Prophet Mohammed cartoons.  Sheikh 
Pashazade echoed these comments in a separate meeting, 
telling the delegation that Azerbaijan's religious leaders 
play a key role in preventing the politicization of religion. 
 On democracy and human rights, Aliyev argued that political 
development in Azerbaijan is impossible without parallel 
economic development and asserted that the GOAJ is committed 
to both.  The leaders of the Conference of Presidents viewed 
the visit as a great success, taking away a better 
understanding of Azerbaijan as a secular, tolerant nation 
that is an important strategic partner for the United States. 
 END SUMMARY. 
 
----------------------- 
DISAPPOINTMENT IN PARIS 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) During their February 9-13 visit to Azerbaijan, the 
70-plus member delegation of the Conference of Presidents of 
Major American Jewish Organizations met February 13 with 
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.  This meeting immediately 
followed one with the Foreign Minister (reftel).  In his 
private session with the COP leadership and Ambassador, 
President Aliyev said he was disappointed by his meetings in 
Paris with President Kocharian.  Aliyev claimed that that 
Kocharian had done little but say "no" to proposals. 
President Aliyev said that he wants the dialogue to continue 
because Armenia and Azerbaijan must find a peaceful solution 
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and that he hoped to 
discuss the talks with the Secretary by telephone. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
AZERBAIJAN'S MODEL: "DIALOGUE BETWEEN CIVILIZATIONS" 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3. (C) In the general meeting with the COP membership, Aliyev 
characterized relations with the United States as relations 
between "allies cooperating in various fields."  President 
Aliyev also said that Azerbaijan's ties with Israel will 
continue to expand, although he did not address the issue of 
opening an embassy there.  Aliyev several times articulated 
his vision of Azerbaijan as a multi-confessional country that 
could be a model for others, saying that tolerance and 
cooperation between different communities is "normal life" in 
Azerbaijan.  This characteristic had helped Azerbaijan as a 
country during the difficult years surrounding the 
restoration of independence in 1991, he said. Several times 
during the meeting he returned to the phrase "dialogue 
between civilizations." 
 
¶4. (C) One delegation member asked about the recent 
controversy over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, 
contrasting the violence in other countries with the peaceful 
expression of disapproval in Azerbaijan.  Aliyev noted that 
the entire affair "instead of continuing dialogue was an 
event that prevented dialogue."  Aliyev said that he feels 
the governments of Denmark and the other Western countries 
that printed the cartoons should have apologized for giving 
offense.  At the same time, Aliyev said that the violence of 
the protestors is "unacceptable."  Those offended by the 
cartoons should express their feelings in nonviolent ways, he 
said. 
 
 
BAKU 00000256  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. (C) Another delegation member expressed dismay about 
President Putin's decision to receive Hamas representatives 
in Moscow, given that organization's stance towards Israel. 
Aliyev did not engage the issue directly but noted that 
extremism is a dangerous tendency and one that has to be 
taken seriously.  After 9/11, he noted, "no country can think 
itself safe."   When another delegation member asked about 
recent extremist statements by Iran's president, Aliyev said 
such statements are an example of the security environment 
where Azerbaijan is located -- "in every direction there are 
conflicts." 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Sheikh ul Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, head of the 
Caucasus Muslim Board and senior Muslim religious figure in 
Azerbaijan, echoed these sentiments in a separate February 13 
meeting with the delegation, describing Azerbaijan as a 
tolerant nation with a tradition of coexistence. 
Azerbaijan's religious leaders, he said, believe they must 
play a leading role in preventing the politicization of 
religion and must denounce insults to any religion.  The 
Sheikh was troubled by the violent reactions to the Prophet 
Muhammad cartoons in other countries and noted that the 
Caucasus Muslim Board's statement on the cartoons had called 
unambiguously for a peaceful resolution of the problem.  The 
Sheikh noted that "neighboring states" (e.g., Iran) have an 
interest in creating conflict among religions and try to 
influence events in Azerbaijan.  Thanks to their strong 
tradition of tolerance, however, the Azerbaijani people 
resist this influence.  In response to a question, the Sheikh 
also said the Azerbaijani people were pleased by his decision 
to donate blood on the Shi'a holiday of Ashura, adding that 
it was more productive to share rather than shed blood. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
DEMOCRACY AND CIVIL RIGHTS IN AZERBAIJAN 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) When asked about the development of political rights 
and civil rights in Azerbaijan, Aliyev reviewed the 
instability surrounding Azerbaijan's early years after the 
restoration of independence in 1991, and noted that political 
development cannot take place absent economic development. 
He noted that the GOAJ is committed to economic development, 
citing that the percentage of the population below the 
poverty line has declined to 29 percent from a high of 49 
percent in the early 1990s.  He also noted that Azerbaijan 
currently has the highest GDP growth rate in the world. 
Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has obligations to the Council of 
Europe on civil and political rights that it is committed to 
implementing. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) The Conference of Presidents overwhelmingly viewed 
this trip as a success, telling Ambassador and emboffs that 
they took away a much better understanding of Azerbaijan as a 
secular, tolerant nation that is an important strategic 
partner for the United States.  The Sheikh's message of 
tolerance resounded particularly well with the group, and 
several delegation members commented that they never expected 
such a strong message of coexistence to from the leader of a 
Shi'a community in a state bordering Iran.  The group clearly 
saw Azerbaijan as an important partner with whom to work in 
the ongoing efforts of the United States to promote tolerance 
and the spread of moderate Islam. 
HARNISH