MODERNISATION IN AZERBAIJAN SPECIAL REPORT | 10-14 FEB. 2020 https://eurac.tv/9RpC With the support of MODERNISATION IN AZERBAIJAN SPECIAL REPORT | 10-14 FEB. 2020 https://eurac.tv/9RpC The key word in Azerbaijan in recent months appears to be modernisation, with opportunities being given to young and well-educated professionals, replacing a Soviet-time old guard. EURACTIV met with some of these young professionals and gathered their views about the future of their country. Contents In snap parliamentary elections, Azeris put hopes in young candidates 4 People in Azerbaijan ‘have a desire to be active’, says newly-elected MP 6 University looking to the West is the ‘new face of Azerbaijan,’ says vice-rector 8 Europe’s Southern Gas Corridor ‘almost ready’, says Azebaijan’s SOCAR 10 Azerbaijan government sets up think tank in efforts to increase regional clout 13 4 10-14 FEB. 2020 | SPECIAL REPORT | MODERNISATION IN AZERBAIJAN | EURACTIV In snap parliamentary elections, Azeris put hopes in young candidates By Georgi Gotev reporting from Baku | EURACTIV.com Huseyn said was excited, because he voted for the 1st time - he was too young to vote at the previous elections. [Georgi Gotev] xit polls look good for the The opposition criticised the conditions. At first sight, the turnout ruling party in Azerbaijan’s vote, denouncing electoral fraud appeared low – there were more local Esnap elections, held on Sunday and widespread ballot-stuffing. The observers than people coming to cast (9 February). The main difference fairness of the elections is expected a ballot. compared to past elections is that to be assessed on Monday in a first Final results are yet to be many more young and Western- communiqué by the Organisation for announced, but voter turnout was trained people are expected to fill the Security and Cooperation in Europe initially put at 47.81% (2,547,982 voters 125-seat Azeri Parliament. (OSCE). Around 350 OSCE officials out of 5,329,461). monitored the election, some of them Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Long-term President Ilham Aliyev’s long-term. secured 69 seats in the 125-member ruling party won a majority of seats in EURACTIV visited two Baku voting parliament, the Milli Majlis, according Sunday’s snap parliamentary election, stations chosen at random where according to exit polls. the vote was taking place in normal Continued on Page 5 10-14 FEB. 2020 | SPECIAL REPORT | MODERNISATION IN AZERBAIJAN | EURACTIV 5 Continued from Page 4 successful careers, many of whom most developed societies, and that have gained prominence on social “exporting democracy” had not to two exit polls. This is the same media. worked across the globe, in particular number of MPs as in the outgoing Surprisingly, no resentment or during the so-called “Arab Spring”. Parliament, where two parties had one criticism was noticed for the older A young female voter said these and two MPs respectively, and 53 were generation, as if the old guard had elections would not change much in the independent. accomplished their role and simply country, but would rather gradually set Executive Secretary of YAP Ali had to make way for younger MPs. the ground for “completely different” Ahmadov wrote on Facebook “I One female voter said her favourite political parties in the future. She was can congratulate the member of candidate in her constituency, for clearly optimistic that her country was New Azerbaijan Party with another whom she was going to vote, was going in the right direction. victory”. a young male professional with In restaurants and bars in Baku, Exit polls were conducted by local journalistic background. If she could full of young urban professionals, observers working for two western choose outside her constituency, optimism largely prevailed. agencies – AJF & Associates Inc. (US) she said her preference would go EURACTIV couldn’t verity the mood in and the French OpinionWay Research to Nigar Arpadarai, a young female rural areas. Institute. professional now working as In October, Aliyev dismissed communications director for the Baku his influential chief-of-staff, Ramiz city circuit for F1. Mehdiyev, and made other high-profile Middle class professionals to whom changes including the appointment of EURACTIV spoke said that after three 62-year-old economist Ali Asadov as decades in which the country had prime minister. The snap election that accomplished the much-necessary followed is seen as part of a reshuffle nation-building after the Soviet of the elite. period, now the time of institution- The authorities made big efforts to building had come, and especially present the elections as a democratic strengthening the judiciary. contest and a shift from over-control “If we fix the judiciary, everything to controlled democracy, in which else will be extremely successful,” said independent-minded and Western- an English-speaking professional in trained people would have a say. his fourties, who was very enthusiastic 1,314 candidates were registered. about the elections. As several others, 246 candidates were nominated by 19 he took the view that unlike other post- political parties while 1,057 were self- Soviet countries, Azerbaijan had made nominated, and 11 were nominated by a rather successful transition, avoiding initiative groups. the kind of chaos that plagued Ukraine In terms of gender representation, in particular. 21% of candidates were female Some of the young people still while 79% were male. While the speak Russian, but clearly English is proportion of women is low, it was in the number one foreign language in progress compared to the previous today’s Baku. election. Historically, the Milli Majlis After the fall of the Soviet union, is considered to be the first secular Azerbaijan was able to improve living parliament in the Muslim world. standards and retain most of the In Azerbaijan, the key word young people who made their studies in politics seems to be “young” – abroad. “We are able to get roughly a synonym for Western-trained, the same conditions here,” the young pragmatic and possibly pluralistic- professional explained, saying this minded people. was a powerful incentive to return The situation may be different in home rather than contributing to the rural areas, but in Baku many people wealth of foreign societies. said they were excited by the chance He also argued that democracy to vote for young candidates with was imperfect even in the West’s 6 10-14 FEB. 2020 | SPECIAL REPORT | MODERNISATION IN AZERBAIJAN | EURACTIV People in Azerbaijan ‘have a desire to be active’, says newly-elected MP By Vlagyiszlav Makszimov | EURACTIV.com Soltan Memmedov. [Georgi Gotev] zeri people were excited became a member of the country’s international level. He was chairman about the elections and have parliament – the Milli Majlis – with of the finance committee of the Global Aa desire for change, assures 47.2% of the votes. Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Soltan Mammadov, an independent With his election, Mammadov Malaria between 2014-2015 and served candidate for the 125-seat parliament becomes the representative of a region on the fund’s board as an Eastern of Azerbaijan who spoke to EURACTIV that was until now led by the country’s Europe & Central Asia Constituency as the polling sections were closing on vice president and first lady, Mehriban representative. Sunday (9 February). Aliyeva. Since then, he was the director of Mammadov has more than 20 the international relations department According to preliminary results years of experience in social policy released on Monday, Mammadov and public health, much of it gained at Continued on Page 7 10-14 FEB. 2020 | SPECIAL REPORT | MODERNISATION IN AZERBAIJAN | EURACTIV 7 Continued from Page 6 “What do people want from female. a member of parliament?” asked “There were cases when one of the of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Mammadov in a rhetorical question. observers was demanding, asking or country’s fund that carries out a mix “As our president always says, an MP doing more” than what is permitted by of cultural, political and charitable must be of the people, he must work law, Mammadov said, admitting that projects. and live with them.” “such issues did arise”. “My desire [to serve] mainly Following this philosophy, the “But this is routine because other comes from the fact that I’m relying newly-elected parliamentarian plans observers or electoral commission on my experience of working with to meet with his constituents regularly members explain the rules right away.” the population,” says Mammadov. and in different formats. Mammadov Asked about how he expect his However, this time is different, he thinks that the feeling is reciprocated life to change after the election, adds, because he will represent people by citizens, who are excited about Mammadov said he was unsure. directly. “For more than 20 years, I taking a more active role in the “That’s a good question. I’m not a have liked working with the citizens, electoral process. pessimist, but I always try to think of working with people, implementing “People have a desire to be the bad, thinking of good things would many social projects,” he said, active, because now they have be too easy.” speaking to EURACTIV’s Senior Editor completely different expectations,” His main concern is the family time Georgi Gotev. said Mammadov, recounting his he will miss with his two daughters, Mammadov explained that he ran interactions with voters. but he hopes that his budding political as an independent candidate because Overall, he is satisfied with the career will inspire them. he is used to unaffiliated service in election turnout despite harsh “What we are doing for our foundations and refrains from directly weather conditions. And although country, it’s precisely the future of our criticising the Azeri leadership.