Azeri analyst hails appointment of new US mediator for Karabakh

Azadliq, Baku
8 Apr 04

Text of Aqil’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 8 April
headlined “The optimal choice” and headlined “Xaladdin Ibrahimli:
Steven Mann is more knowledgeable about the Caucasus”

The USA is replacing its co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Rudolf
Perina, by US Secretary of State for Caspian issues Steven
Mann. Observers point that Mann used to oversee energy-related issues
in the Caspian region. They are looking for special reasons behind
this appointment.

Political analyst Xaladdin Ibrahimli commented on those theories. He
said that first of all he took the new appointment of the US
administration as an ordinary replacement policy. However, he reckons
that giving this post to Mann is a more successful and better choice
for the USA. “Because Mann knows well the Caucasus region and the
Caspian basin, in general. He is quite knowledgeable about the
problems of this region.”

Albeit new in the job, Mann will not need too much time to study the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. “For he is acquainted with the origins of
the conflict and its further development.”

On the other hand, “this successful appointment shows that the USA
will soon invest more efforts to resolve the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict,” Ibrahimli said.