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Events
Andrew Light Speaker Tour in Europe May 14, 2013 / Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium

GMF Senior Fellow Andrew Light participated in a speaking tour in Europe to discuss opportunities for transatlantic cooperation on climate and energy policy in the second Obama administration.

Audio
Deal Between Kosovo, Serbia is a European Solution to a European Problem May 13, 2013

In this podcast, GMF Vice President of Programs Ivan Vejvoda discusses last month's historic agreement to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Andrew Small on China’s Influence in the Middle East Peace Process May 10, 2013

Anchor Elaine Reyes speaks with Andrew Small, Transatlantic Fellow of the Asia Program for the German Marshall Fund, about Beijing's potential role in brokering peace between Israel and Palestine

Events

Election called key to Azerbaijani democracy October 13, 2005 / Ankara



With the Azerbaijan parliamentary election fast approaching on November 6, GMF’s Ankara office hosted an October 13 roundtable discussion featuring Ali Kerimli, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party. Analysts, journalists, officials from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, and a number of NGO representatives heard Mr. Kerimli say the upcoming election is the key to a democratic future for Azerbaijan.

For the first time, Mr. Kerimli said, the three main opposition parties are cooperating and have united as a bloc against the government party. Despite the attempts of the current Azerbaijani government to suppress the opposition, Mr. Kerimli is optimistic about the upcoming elections as he believes that there is growing public reaction toward the government. There is also considerable international attention to the election process, including 500 OSCE election observers. In addition, Mr. Kerimli said, the government sees an estimated 2 million Azerbaijanis living abroad — about 25 percnet of the population, and possibly a higher percentage of the electorate — as a potential threat, so they will be denied a vote.

Mr. Kerimli said Turkey should not be shy and should play a constructive role similar to that of Poland in Ukraine during the Orange Revolution. Turkey should support the democratic aspirations of the Azerbaijani people and its observers should report what will transpire in the election. "We are not asking Turkey do support the opposition," Mr. Kerimli said. "We only want Turkey to be fair and in equal distance to both the opposition and the government."