Azeri sportsman’s victory at Judo European Youth Championship-2009 in Yerevan gave a handle to regular warlike statements by the neighboring countries’ leader. Moreover, Elmar Gasimov’s gold medal was sufficient for Azerbaijani propaganda machine to show hangups of their nation in all its glory.

Azerbaijani anthem that played once in the Yerevan Sports-Concert Complex is the main hero of the hullabaloo, that unwillingly displayed two diametric phenomena: hangups of Azerbaijan on one hand and civility and tolerance of modern Armenia on the other. All day yesterday Azerbaijani TV channels were broadcasting with sinking heart the episodes of Azeri flag hoisting and anthem’s playing in Yerevan (AzTV state channel as usual was most active). However Aliyevi ideologists missed an unconscious figure. What did they seek to prove to Azeris? The only thing official Baku propaganda achieved was that the whole world and Azerbaijani population were convinced that Armenia fulfilled all its obligations, even more — calmly admitted the success of Azeri sportsmen, despite their state mass media call Armenians fascists, rapists and murderers. Indeed, the situation is imperfect. There were no Azeris or Turks during the competition, except for Azerbaijani delegation in the overcrowded hall. Armenian ‘monsters’ quietly listened to the Azerbaijani anthem, there was no whistling, many spectators raised.

How Azerbaijani President responded? In the course of yesterday’s meeting with Azeri sportsmen in Baku, Ilham Aliyev (expressing readiness to peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict in the presence of international mediators) became lyrical over his unreal dreams, namely to fly Azerbaijani flag over ‘occupied’ territories, including Stepanakert and Shushi. One can always dream, he can write fairy tales and read them before going to sleep. What objective one should pursue to turn the success of the sportsmen into political speculations? And all this process against the background of the Karabakh conflict settlement approximating its critical stage, as the mediators assure? It is really uneasy to understand the logic of the president who made all schools to erect huge monuments to his father.

All we can do is to congratulate the winners of the Judo European Youth Championship, including Elmar Gasimov who favoured us with so much fun and joy, as well as a chance to demonstrate the irresistible complex about failed attempts to bolster self-esteem.