Azerbaijan re-creates its own Komsomol to counter youth movements?

Chairman of IRELI speaks in the session with a portrait of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the background

Though I am not a member of any Azerbaijani youth organization or movement, I am very well acquainted with the field - and imagine my surprise when I read from the weekend edition of Zerkalo that those organizations have come together to form the Union of Student and Youth Organizations of Azerbaijan. Wow! Really?

Actually, the real news is that the Azerbaijani government is re-creating a new Komsomol or semi-official institution to speak on behalf of country's youth. Something to use in "country's youth supports this or condemns this" propaganda. Especially, after infamous bloggers' case when the government had come face-to-face with Azeri youth, especially its well-educated, internet-savvy segment, it decided to engage in the youth sector more seriously.

In fact, they took the mission not only seriously, but too much seriously! Where do you think the founding session of the new organization was held? In the Cultural Center of the Ministry of National Security (former KGB). That is why the main purpose of the Union was declared to educate youth in patriotic spirit, and to fight alcoholism, smoking, drugs, extremism and terrorism. Oh, they forgot to mention voting for Armenia in Eurovision!

Government ministers, MPs, rectors of universities were also present in the session and among honored guests there were the Head of the Presidential Administration and the Minister of Youth and Sports. Representative of the Presidential Administration read the President’s letter-address to the session.

Just a note from me - none of oppositional or independent youth movements and organizations in Azerbaijan (OL!, Dalga, AN) as well as youth branches of oppositional political parties were present in the meeting. Neither they are members of the Union.