Epress.am News from Armenia
A major problem in Azerbaijani society is that political and economic power is highly concentrated among a few groups, said US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza on the eve of a meeting with members of the Caspian-European Integration Business Club (CEIBC), RFE/RL reports.
“If you look at the history of this region, for centuries there were groupings of power around what is today Azerbaijan that were known as khanates, which held power in various regions. Of course, [today] Azerbaijan is a[n independent] state. But to a certain extent, maybe some of those traditions of khanates in the economy continue,” he said, adding that it’s difficult for American companies to do business in the Caspian Sea nation because they don’t understand with whom they can work and how to grow their business.
According to him, corruption continues to be a problem in Azerbaijan.
At the same time, he stressed Azerbaijan’s attractiveness for investors and the strategic importance of the country. “Azerbaijan is the only country in the world that has 9 climatic zones. There is no ‘Dutch disease’ and it prefers to implement projects with Turkey and Europe. And despite pressure from the north and south, Azerbaijan has a strategic relationship with the US,” he said.