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Azerbaijan prioritizes fight against corruption

By M. Alkhazashvili
(Translated by Diana Dundua)
Friday, April 4
The Azerbaijani government is stepping up efforts to combat corruption, officials said at an international conference on corruption at Baku on April 1.

“Azerbaijan is one of the leading countries in terms of economic growth, and the high level of economic growth, in turn, creates favorable conditions for corruption,” Justice Minister Fikret Mamedov said at the conference, adding that the government has “new priorities in this direction.”

The justice minister underlined the importance of using other countries’ experience, and said that NGOs and media agencies are cooperating with the government.

“There are a total of 230 NGOs and 3600 media organizations registered in Azerbaijan, and they are helping government departments in the struggle against corruption. It is important that the public are informed of the fight against corruption,” Mamedov said.

Meanwhile Kamran Aliyev, chief of the anti-corruption department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, said since 2005 around 200 officials have been charged with corruption-related offences.