Washington briefing: Azerbaijani officials on propaganda tour of California

Published: Saturday August 30, 2008

Asim Mollazade.

The California State Assembly hosted a group of four Azerbaijani officials earlier this month, one of the delegation members Azerbaijani Milli Majlis member Asim Mollazade told Day.az on August 21. The group visited the two chambers of California's legislature in Sacramento, Rep. Berman, who represents a Los Angeles-area district, the San Francisco City Council, and the local World Affairs Council.

Mr. Mollazade said he and his colleagues used the opportunity to talk up Azerbaijan's importance to the world, threats posed by "imperial" Russia, as well as "true reasons" behind the conflict with Armenia. He singled out the importance of raising the Azerbaijani flag in the California legislature as a significant event.

In September 2007 Azerbaijan hosted a California delegation that included State Senator Sheila Kuehl, State Assembly members Julia Brownley, Betty Karnette, and Lori Saldaña, as well as assistant director of the California State Senate international relations office Shannon Shellenberg.