Q: I have some questions about internal politics of Azerbaijan. You and your father, President Aliyev have been registered as candidates for the upcoming presidential elections and how is it going to be? Are you both running for the elections and how is it going to be?A: For the time being yes. We both are participating in the election campaigns for the elections. I made it several times very clear I will use my participation in the campaign to advocate for the President. I am planning when time is appropriate to withdraw my candidacy for the president will be elected. This is the plan. Q: It is highly expected that people inside and outside Azerbaijan believe you will be elected as a next President. Moreover, some people say that President Aliyev would like to see his son, you as a successor of his power. In addition, there is some criticism about that, you know. Could you comment on that? A: This criticism comes from the place where there is not enough information about internal politics in Azerbaijan and my positions. I am for almost ten years worked as a leading person in all the international oil developments. Therefore, I have enough experience in management of the biggest part of Azerbaijan’s economy. Also, I am an 8 year member of Parliament I am First Deputy Chairman of the ruling party and Vice-president of the Council of Europe Organization. All these give me chances to be involved into internal and foreign policy of Azerbaijan. Therefore, critics may look all the formal side of this situation. However, if they know exactly my experience and activity, I think they may not be so critical. Therefore, I think that is also one of the reasons why Parliament unanimously approved my candidacy and the government as well, members of the government expressed full support. Q: There are some things related to critics also about prestige. You were elected as Prime Minister. For example, if President Aliyev was in serious condition he was not able to sign the document for you, a presidential order. A: This rumors come from our opposition, which is now use all inappropriate methods to insult. On August 2, I was with the President in the military hospital and before he sent the letter to the Parliament we had a conversation with him and he told me he had made a decision and I agreed with that. So, he was in full capability. Now, it is already one week passing since my appointment was executed and president’s conditions are improving. In addition, you may know, this is information of the official sources in the Cleveland Hospital. He is in good condition and I speak to him every day. Doctors view that there is a good improvement in his health condition. Therefore, he was and is now to the full expense in control of what he is doing. That is why opposition rumors that he was not able and other things are not ethical and human. Q: I would like to know more about your father’s condition. Can he talk; you have phone calls every day. Can he walk?A: Yes he can, but there are some kidney problems which mostly is a problem with one of the kidney and therefore there is a treatment which will improve the kidney to work to full extend. Now it is not working to the full extend. His heart conditions are good. He can talk he can walk but of course doctors prefer to keep him in therapy department and to complete the recovery. Q: When did the doctors expect him to come back to Azerbaijan? A: Doctors never tell him. But judging on his condition, may be in a couple of weeks, in two weeks’ time. Q: He would make it before the elections. So, I would like to go to the topics of the international relations You, as Prime Minister, you are known as a specialist of international relations study. What do you think, the position of Azerbaijan should be in the context of other world in which United States is extending its power, so-called unilateralism. What do you think of Azerbaijan’s position in such a world?A: Azerbaijan is an ally of the United States. For many years, we are conducting joint activities in energy development. US supports our energy project, transpiration, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, Baku-Erzerum pipeline. Everything is being done with strong support of the US government. Azerbaijan is an ally in the antiterrorist activities, We are ally in war in Iraq we made it very clear and immediately expressed our full support to the US activities to put an end to terrorism. First, because we are allies, second, because we suffered from Armenian terrorism. More than two thousand innocent people were killed only by terrorist acts of Armenian terrorist organizations. Therefore, we know how people suffer from terrorism, we will support the United States in its activities to put an end to terrorism in the world, and we make it very clear in the future to be a part of this coalition. Q: Azerbaijan is a former member of the Soviet Union. How do you like to keep relations with Russia, which is opposed to the war in Iraq? -We have very good relations with Russia. Moreover, one of the elements of our foreign policy is that we have very good relations with Russia and with United States. We think that Azerbaijan should not be a place where big countries should have disagreements. Russia has its own policy towards Iraq and we respect it as well as other countries respect Azerbaijan’s foreign policy its alliance with the United State in this issue. Therefore, they should know the contradictions. We are with Russia for the last three years by the efforts of our two Presidents in economic development, cooperation, political relations, and we are very happy that four or five years before, relations were not very good but we have always wanted to have better relations. Now we are very happy that it happens. Q: Five years ago, the relations were not very good, because of Armenian problem. A: Armenian problem is still there. Because of the attitude of the former Russian government towards this issue, which was unfair. Former Russian government supported Armenian unilateralism, gave them one billion worth armament, and other things. But government of President Putin declared and is conducting the policy, which is balanced, which does not give priority to either of the sides. This is very good. We appreciate it very much. We want to improve our relations with Russia. Q: I would like to ask you about link between the internal and international politics. What can you say about human freedoms and rights in Azerbaijan, and freedom of speech. What are activities of Azerbaijan on making Azerbaijani laws to meet western standards? A: I think that Azerbaijan made a big progress in democratization of society. For the third year, we are members of the Council of Europe Organization, which mainly deals with human rights issues. In addition, we fulfilled all our obligations, which we undertook upon entering the Council of Europe. There is a big progress in freedom of speech, freedom of expression, opposition parties. If you look at the newspapers, you will be shocked. What articles they write about the government, personally, they insult the members of the government. We do not have censorship. They have all the alleys and freedom of all the demonstrations. The otherы think that, for example at the demonstration of more than 20 opposition parties, they managed to have 3 thousand people only. It shows very low support for the opposition in the society. But they have all these attributes, which say clearly that we are building a democratic society. Of course, you cannot compare us to Western Europe it is not time yet, it is only eleven years of independence, but we are moving in that direction and I am sure that in several years our society will be much more advanced in democratic process. We had our choice many years ago to make. However, we have chosen the way of democratic society. We will continue to build democratic Azerbaijan. Q: Sometimes President Aliyev is criticized for his tough policy. You do not think this way, I believe.- Not of course, He is well appreciated by people of Azerbaijan. People know him for almost 30 years involved in Azerbaijan’s politics. He saved the country 10 years ago when the country was on the eve of collapse. Former government, which is now in opposition, has ruined everything: economy, Army and the country was facing civil war. If he did not come in 1993, Azerbaijan could have disappeared. Therefore, how people love him should not mean that he has some special way of leadership. No, he is democratically elected, recognized by the international community.