Baku-Linked Group Hosts Conference on European Colonialism at UN Headquarters

“Azerbaijan’s population lives in harder conditions than in the colonies [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev ‘liberated.’ I assure you that the minimum salary of the colonized is more than an Azerbaijani’s salary,” he said. “I don’t know who should be liberated.”

He added that the Baku Initiative Group was not transparent with its activities or funding.

“What can Azerbaijan do to France? Nothing,” he said.

“I agree colonialism is not good, but if you are against colonialism you should treat everyone equally. If you’re selective with countries it shows that you do not aim to liberate that country from colonialism, you have to aim to create confusion,” he told OC Media.

“Why should New Caledonia be liberated, but not the Falkland Islands?,” he asked.

Azerbaijan has maintained warmer relations with the UK than many Western countries, with British energy giant BP making significant investments in Azerbaijani oil and gas.

Hasanli argued that the government should be critical of Russia’s colonial policy in Azerbaijan, having been “colonised by Russia for approximately 200 years; assimilated, discriminated against.”

Hasanli suggested that criticism of French colonialism was a thinly veiled attack on the West more generally.

“When they criticized France, they were criticizing European values in the country. The challenge to France is also a challenge to European values. This means that the entire country has become a victim of Ilham Aliyev’s arrogance,” he said.

(This article originally appeared on the website OC-Media on June 25.)