VZCZCXRO1547
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHKB #0085/01 0181417
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181417Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2221
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY COOPERATION IN EUROPE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000085 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL HUM KDEM
SUBJECT: DRL A/S LOWENKRON'S DECEMBER 18 MEETING WITH FM 
MAMMADYAROV 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Anne E. Derse for Reasons 1.4 (b,d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  In a December 18 meeting with visiting DRL 
A/S Lowenkron and the Ambassador, FM Mammadyarov said that 
Azerbaijan was addressing many of the problems that stood in 
the way of its becoming a secular, developed democracy, 
including corruption, rule of law, rural unemployment, and 
access to basic education.  He said that although the 
government was "fighting every hour, every day," toward this 
end, the effort would be a "generational one," and that what 
was most important was that Azerbaijan make "careful, 
irreversible" progress. With regard to freedom of the media 
and assembly, he said that the government needed a "two-way 
approach" in which journalists and the political opposition 
had to act responsibly.  The meeting was interrupted by a 
summons to the Presidential Apparat where the discussion 
continued with President Aliyev (septel).  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C) On December 18 visiting Assistant Secretary for 
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Barry Lowenkron and the 
Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Mammadyarov.  Also 
present were DRL/AE Deputy Director Lisa Heller, DRL/AE 
Foreign Affairs Officer Wendy Silverman, and EconOff 
notetaker. 
 
¶3. (C) A/S Lowenkron told FM Mammadyarov that he was glad to 
be in Azerbaijan, and that he had hoped to visit sooner after 
President Aliyev's historic visit to Washington earlier that 
year.  He said that although his trip had been delayed, he 
hoped to be a regular visitor to Baku. 
 
¶4. (C) FM Mammadyarov welcomed A/S Lowenkron, noting that his 
visit was important, symbolizing one of the 'three pillars' 
of the bilateral relationship.  Mammadyarov said that the 
GOAJ wanted to expand its cooperation with the USG and 
enhance its integration into the European and Euroatlantic 
community.  Azerbaijan was ready to take the next step, with 
Mammadyarov saying that the GOAJ now "had the skeleton" for 
democracy, and "all it needed was more muscles."  He said 
that the GOAJ was quite happy with President Bush's 
statements during the credentialing ceremony of the new 
Azerbaijan Ambassador to the US. 
 
¶5. (C) A/S Lowenkron said that in discussing the state of 
various countries with Secretary Rice, she never uses the 
terms "bad" or "good," but instead inquires about the 
"trajectories" of these countries.  In judging the 
trajectories, she uses a three-pronged approach, focusing on 
electoral issues, governance issues and civil society.  A/S 
Lowenkron then asked FM Mammadyarov how the USG can best help 
the GOAJ to optimize its trajectory, and how it can help the 
GOAJ work toward actualizing President Aliyev's vision for 
Azerbaijan that he laid out when he visited Washington. 
 
¶6. (C) FM Mammadyarov said that President Aliyev's visit to 
the US, and other high-level bilateral visits,  indicate that 
Azerbaijan is on the path towards becoming a politically and 
economically developed, secular democracy.   However, 
Azerbaijan, with its legacy of a Soviet, 'command economy,' 
does not have an historical legacy that facilitates this type 
of development, and the government needs to "change the 
'mentality' of the people" so that they can understand how 
western democracies function.   The conflict with Armenia 
also had an effect on the initial aspects of Azerbaijan's 
movements in this direction. 
 
¶7. (C) FM Mammadyarov said that he knows that the USG 
understands that the GOAJ needs to implement these changes 
"in an evolutionary manner."  The Council of Europe and the 
USG are helping fashion the requisite legal infrastructure, 
but implementation has to be done "carefully and correctly." 
Changing laws is one matter; but "implementation is another 
story. Changing psychology is different, and much harder." 
As such, President Aliyev wants to use the GOAJ's increased 
revenue to invest in education, because democracy-building is 
a "generational process."  In this regard, in 2005 the GOAJ 
joined the Council of Europe's "Bologna Process." 
 
¶8. (C) FM Mammadyarov said that President Aliyev wishes to 
repair and build new schools, so that Azerbaijani youth feel 
that they are living in "a new state."  He has also tasked 
the Council of Ministers to "fully computerize" Azerbaijan's 
4,500 schools, with full access to the Internet - "without 
computers you cannot think of a well-established society." 
New textbooks are also being written, although this too will 
take time.  The GOAJ will also spend significant resources in 
 
BAKU 00000085  002 OF 002 
 
 
social protection (i.e. social insurance).  "The State will 
protect its citizens," FM Mammadyarov stated. 
 
¶9. (C) FM Mammadyarov said that this state protection would 
extend to Azerbaijan's IDPs and refugees, although he said 
that with a population of 8 million, absorbing one million 
refugees and approximately 760 thousand IDPs is impossible. 
Mammadyarov added that the GOAJ would focus on getting rid of 
the 'tent camps,' as it did not want the children growing in 
them to "become like Palestinians."  To this end, the GOAJ 
was initiating a mobile housing program for its refugees and 
IDPs, "so that they can take their belongings back with 
them," when they can return to their homes.  FM Mammadyarov 
also said that since over 50 percent of Azerbaijanis lived in 
rural areas, the GOAJ was also focusing on the agricultural 
sector, to include agro-leasing and fertilizer provision. 
 
¶10. (C) FM Mammadyarov acknowledged the challenges ahead. 
Concerning corruption, FM Mammadyarov said that the GOAJ knew 
that this was a serious challenge, although there was much 
public misunderstanding concerning this issue.  He said the 
government knew it must address this as well as rule-of-law 
issues.  Corruption was present in every society, including 
the US, as evidenced by the Enron case.  What is most 
important is that the GOAJ recognizes the problem and is 
moving to address it.  The GOAJ would enact reforms in this 
regard "not to please anyone, but because we want to."  It 
would be wrong to set a time-table for these reforms, 
Mammadyarov said.  "What is important is that we are 
fighting, every hour, every day," and that the process 
continues, step by step in a careful, irreversible manner. 
There would be "more ups than downs," and FM Mammadyarov said 
he was "excited" about Azerbaijan's future. 
 
¶11.  (C) A/S Lowenkron agreed democracy building is a long 
term process, but efforts could not be deferred. Although 
there is no "one size fits all blueprint,"  values were 
universal.  He acknowledged that Azerbaijan's efforts would 
be "multi-generational," and affirmed that civic education 
and controlling corruption would be key factors. 
 
¶12. (C) Concerning media freedom, FM Mammadyarov said that 
Azerbaijani journalists needed more and better training, to 
include training in journalistic ethics.  The media has to be 
responsible.  A/S Lowenkron pointed out that the media has to 
be allowed to grow, "warts and all."  He also pointed out 
that freedom of assembly was another key element of 
Azerbaijan's movement towards democracy.  FM Mammadyarov 
agreed, but pointed out that those who assemble must behave 
responsibly, and not seek to "shake the country."  Calling 
for a two-way approach, FM Mammadyarov said that "the 
opposition has to behave like grownups," and that both the 
government and the opposition need to be educated.  He added 
that the GOAJ was also addressing this issue. When A/S 
Lowenkron noted that President's call for a dialogue with the 
opposition, FM Mammadyarov replied that the President's 
vision was of an opposition that conducted itself in a 
civilized manner, not by hunger strikes. 
 
¶13.  (C) COMMENT:  A/S Lowenkron's meeting with FM 
Mammadyarov was interrupted by a summons from the 
Presidential Apparat for both A/S Lowenkron and FM 
Mammadyarov.  Many of the themes discussed in this meeting 
also were sounded in the meeting with the President (septel). 
 END COMMENT. 
 
¶14.  (U) A/S Lowenkron cleared this message. 
DERSE