Political analysts assess PR effect from Aliev's trips to Karabakh

By his frequent trips to the conflict zone, Ilham Aliev, President of Azerbaijan, has glorified his role in regaining control over the Karabakh territories and is taking revenge from his opponents who had criticized him for the unsolved problem, political analysts believe. Mr Aliev pays special attention to the city of Shusha, which is important for Azerbaijan in ideological, economic and military aspects, Togrul Djuvarly, an economist and a member of the Azerbaijan National Public Committee for European Integration (ANPCEI), has noted.

In Mr Djuvarly's opinion, the President seeks to personally control the progress of restoration work in Shusha; his trips to the conflict zone are also intended to support the patriotic enthusiasm in the society. The economist has added that the capture and retention of Shusha is of great ideological significance, since the city "can be treated as the cradle of the Azerbaijani musical culture, poetry and arts."

Shusha, according to Djuvarly, has a great military-strategic importance and tourism potential.

Ilham Aliev is trying to emphasize his personal role in regaining control over the Karabakh territories, Zardusht Alizade, a political analyst, believes. According to his story, the president's father, Geidar Aliev, had also used such methods.

By his trips to the conflict zone, Aliev is taking revenge from his opponents in the country, Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, the head of the Institute for Public Policy, believes, noting that after the victory in Karabakh, Aliev "has achieved an unprecedented rise in his popularity."