Airmiles Andy is back at the despot's table dinner table... even though trade role was axed two years ago
The Duke of York has risked a new
diplomatic row after he claimed to be ‘representing Britain’ at a
lavish dinner hosted by a brutal dictator.
Nearly two years after being forced to step down as an official UK trade envoy, Prince Andrew was pictured at a summit in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, mingling with prime ministers, politicians, bankers and oil executives.
During last week’s event, he gave his views on the economic prospects for central Asia – despite having no authority to do so officially.
MPs and human rights groups also criticised his appearance as guest of honour at the table of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, whose corrupt regime is accused of imprisoning opponents, torturing dissidents and rigging elections.
In a short speech after the
dinner, Andrew told guests: ‘Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, while
you enjoy your evening, I have no one to represent, except the UK.’
Buckingham Palace last night strongly defended the Prince, saying he was there to promote UK trade interests, particularly in the oil business.
It is the tenth time in seven years that the Duke – nicknamed ‘Airmiles Andy’ because of his penchant for luxury air travel – has met Aliyev. In 2011, figures revealed that in his previous decade as trade ambassador, Andrew had cost the taxpayer nearly £4 million on 76 foreign trips, not including the cost of police bodyguards.
In 2009 The Mail on Sunday told how Andrew spent £60,000 of public money to charter a private jet for a three-day visit to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.
Concerns over the Prince’s friendship with Aliyev was one of the reasons he was forced to step down as a UK trade envoy in July 2011. Another was the controversy surrounding his friendship with US financier Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender.
But since then, the Duke appears to have been carrying on with the job regardless.
Last night a Whitehall source said: ‘The Government was aware of his private trip, but he was certainly not representing Britain. If that’s what he said, it’s a question for Buckingham Palace.’
The Palace described last week’s two-day trip to the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Baku as ‘privately funded’ but refused to confirm if President Aliyev had contributed towards the travel or hotel costs.
During the six-course dinner at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel, the Prince sat next to Aliyev’s daughter Arzu, 24, and one seat away from her mother.
Last night, MPs and human rights groups criticised Andrew’s presence alongside Aliyev at a time when the President is accused of ratcheting up pressure on his opponents.
Max Tucker, Amnesty International’s Azerbaijan expert, said: ‘Andrew’s cosy dinner with President Aliyev is incredibly badly timed. In the past couple of months the regime has stepped up its clampdown on free expression ahead of October’s presidential elections. We urge the Duke of York to make clear to Aliyev that this wave of arrests must stop.’
Labour MP Paul Flynn, who tabled an
early day motion last November asking why the Prince had visited the
‘loathsome, anti-democratic, election-rigging President Aliyev’, added:
‘It is an absolute outrage that Andrew is using his Royal status in
order to prop up an odious leader who is oppressing his own people and
claiming to represent the UK.’
But Tory MP Andrew Rosindell, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: ‘Andrew is doing a fantastic job. There is no better person than a member of the Royal Family for building and maintaining links with countries such as Azerbaijan and places like that will be very important for us in the future.’ Supporters also pointed out that the UK is Azerbaijan’s biggest foreign investor, mainly through BP, which is extracting oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater-Gunashli oilfield.
The consortium behind the assets – of which BP owns a third – has invested £22 billion since it was set up in 1995, employing 2,700 people.
Buckingham Palace defended the Prince’s trip, saying: ‘The Duke continues to support British businesses – Azerbaijan is BP’s largest single investment globally.
‘It is because of this he was first asked by the Government to visit Azerbaijan in 2005. The Duke has no personal business interests in Azerbaijan.’
A source close to the Prince added: ‘It is frustrating that Andrew does not speak of the benefits which he has brought to Britain by going on these trips abroad. It has brought in countless millions for Britain.’
Nearly two years after being forced to step down as an official UK trade envoy, Prince Andrew was pictured at a summit in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, mingling with prime ministers, politicians, bankers and oil executives.
During last week’s event, he gave his views on the economic prospects for central Asia – despite having no authority to do so officially.
MPs and human rights groups also criticised his appearance as guest of honour at the table of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, whose corrupt regime is accused of imprisoning opponents, torturing dissidents and rigging elections.
The Duke gave a short speech in which he claimed to be 'representing Britain's at the World Economic Forum's meeting
Buckingham Palace last night strongly defended the Prince, saying he was there to promote UK trade interests, particularly in the oil business.
It is the tenth time in seven years that the Duke – nicknamed ‘Airmiles Andy’ because of his penchant for luxury air travel – has met Aliyev. In 2011, figures revealed that in his previous decade as trade ambassador, Andrew had cost the taxpayer nearly £4 million on 76 foreign trips, not including the cost of police bodyguards.
In 2009 The Mail on Sunday told how Andrew spent £60,000 of public money to charter a private jet for a three-day visit to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.
Concerns over the Prince’s friendship with Aliyev was one of the reasons he was forced to step down as a UK trade envoy in July 2011. Another was the controversy surrounding his friendship with US financier Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender.
Prince Andrew (far right) at the dinner hosted
by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev (third from left), has been
criticised for his attendance
Last night a Whitehall source said: ‘The Government was aware of his private trip, but he was certainly not representing Britain. If that’s what he said, it’s a question for Buckingham Palace.’
The Palace described last week’s two-day trip to the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Baku as ‘privately funded’ but refused to confirm if President Aliyev had contributed towards the travel or hotel costs.
During the six-course dinner at the five-star Four Seasons Hotel, the Prince sat next to Aliyev’s daughter Arzu, 24, and one seat away from her mother.
Last night, MPs and human rights groups criticised Andrew’s presence alongside Aliyev at a time when the President is accused of ratcheting up pressure on his opponents.
Max Tucker, Amnesty International’s Azerbaijan expert, said: ‘Andrew’s cosy dinner with President Aliyev is incredibly badly timed. In the past couple of months the regime has stepped up its clampdown on free expression ahead of October’s presidential elections. We urge the Duke of York to make clear to Aliyev that this wave of arrests must stop.’
Labour MP Paul Flynn tabled an early day motion
last November asking why the Prince had visited the ¿loathsome,
anti-democratic, election-rigging President Aliyev', who rules
Azerbaijan (pictured)
But Tory MP Andrew Rosindell, a member of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: ‘Andrew is doing a fantastic job. There is no better person than a member of the Royal Family for building and maintaining links with countries such as Azerbaijan and places like that will be very important for us in the future.’ Supporters also pointed out that the UK is Azerbaijan’s biggest foreign investor, mainly through BP, which is extracting oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater-Gunashli oilfield.
The consortium behind the assets – of which BP owns a third – has invested £22 billion since it was set up in 1995, employing 2,700 people.
Buckingham Palace defended the Prince’s trip, saying: ‘The Duke continues to support British businesses – Azerbaijan is BP’s largest single investment globally.
‘It is because of this he was first asked by the Government to visit Azerbaijan in 2005. The Duke has no personal business interests in Azerbaijan.’
A source close to the Prince added: ‘It is frustrating that Andrew does not speak of the benefits which he has brought to Britain by going on these trips abroad. It has brought in countless millions for Britain.’