The Azerbaijani regime wants to present a positive image in Europe because it needs support for its flagship project, write four campaigners. Azerbaijan is particularly keen to present a positive image in Europe because it needs significant European support for its flagship project – the Southern Gas Corridor – despite the regime’s serial human rights abuses, systemic corruption and election rigging. The corridor, one of the biggest infrastructure projects undertaken by the fossil fuel industry with a total cost of about $45bn, will carry gas from Azerbaijan to Europe. The Southern Gas Corridor and its importance to the Aliyev regime is the missing piece of the puzzle and partly explains why the Azerbaijani regime is so heavily involved in lobbying at the European level and related money-laundering activities. Rebecca GowlandHead of inequality, Oxfam• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

Source: The Guardian September 06, 2017 18:33 UTC