Concern over Azeri foreign policy behind US defence chief’s unexpected visit
Zerkalo, Baku
11 Aug 04
Concern over Azerbaijan’s ties with Iran and Russia is the reason for
Donald Rumsfeld’s unscheduled visit to Baku, major Azerbaijani daily
Zerkalo has reported. Azerbaijan wants more support in resolution of
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and therefore seeks closer relations
not only with the USA and NATO, but also with Russia, Iran, Pakistan
and China, the paper said. The following is the text of A. Rasidoglu’s
report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 11 August headlined “The
USA is concerned over Azerbaijan’s foreign policy” and subheaded
“Today’s visit of the Pentagon head could be viewed in this context”;
subheadings inserted editorially:
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld will pay a one-day visit to
Baku today. The objectives and the schedule of the meeting has not
been reported yet. However, it is known that he will have talks with
Azerbaijan’s leaders – President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov and Defence Minister Safar Abiyev. The sides will discuss
Azerbaijan’s participation in the counterterrorism coalition in Iraq,
as well as bilateral military cooperation.
An informed diplomatic source has told Turan news agency that the
visit was not scheduled and was caused by Washington’s concern over
the latest trends in Baku’s foreign policy. The White House does have
some causes for concern. It is enough to mention the visit of Iranian
President Mohammad Khatami to Azerbaijan and the visit’s possible
consequences. In particular, the USA is concerned about the prospects
of Baku and Tehran getting even closer.
Chinese general to visit Baku
Maj-Gen Qian Lihua, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office at
China’s National Defence Ministry, will visit Baku on 20-21 August,
Chinese ambassador to Azerbaijan Zhang Xiyun has reported. He said
that the delegation plans to meet Abiyev and will conduct talks on
various directions in bilateral military cooperation. The guests will
also visit military colleges in Baku and learn about the education
there. Dozens of officers from the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are
trained in China’s military academies every year.
Alarming prospects for Americans
It is also noteworthy that the chairman of Pakistan’s Joint Chiefs of
Staff Committee, Gen Muhammad Aziz Khan, is currently visiting
Azerbaijan. He has said that Islamabad will support Azerbaijan in the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. Moreover, there is talk now of a possible
coalition between Tehran, Baku, Islamabad, Beijing and Moscow.
It goes without saying that such a prospect alarms the Americans. The
strengthening of military ties between Baku and Moscow is another
factor causing irritation. Stronger Russian and Iranian clout in Baku
can cast doubt over the US military presence in Azerbaijan. This is an
extremely unfavorable prospect for the USA in the light of a possible
destabilization of the situation in Iran. Therefore, Rumsfeld will
try to obtain clear answers from the Azerbaijani leadership on these
issues.
No other choice for Azerbaijan
Former presidential aide on foreign policy Vafa Quluzada has said in
this regard that Azerbaijan simply has no other choice. Baku is forced
to move closer to Moscow and Tehran in the hope of resolving the
Karabakh problem. “If the USA continues to turn a blind eye to the
existing situation, it can lose Azerbaijan as a strategic partner,”
Quluzada said.
Lately, the Kremlin has been trying to influence the Baku government
with a view to changing its foreign policy course. In particular,
Russian politicians openly state that the pro-Western and pro-American
course chosen by Baku does not quite suit Moscow.
However, one should not forget that Azerbaijan has reached a new level
in its relations with NATO by agreeing on a programme of individual
cooperation with NATO. Azerbaijan has become a member of the European
Union’s Wider Europe – New Neighbourhood initiative. These aspects can
all but concern Moscow. In tandem with Iran, Russia would like to halt
the military, political and economic expansion of Western Europe and
the USA in Central Asia. The Kremlin still regards the incumbent
authorities in Georgia and Azerbaijan as anti-Russian. While Aliyev is
taking certain steps towards Russia, Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili’s actions are only causing further complications in
Moscow-Tbilisi relations.
Not enough support from America and NATO
However, the American policy of double standards vis-a-vis Azerbaijan
has shown that Washington’s main goal is not to help the Azerbaijani
nation to prosper, but to oust Russia from the Caucasus and build a
strategically important corridor between Central Asia, the Caucasus
and Europe.
Azerbaijan and Georgia hoped that by becoming NATO members they could
favourably resolve the problems in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and
Karabakh. However, it transpired in the wake of Kosovo that NATO
servicemen do not intend to fight in Abkhazia or Karabakh instead of
Georgians and Azerbaijanis, and that the White House will not put
pressure on Armenia regarding the Karabakh issue. Moreover, the USA
has proposed a plan to settle the conflict on terms which are
unacceptable to Baku.
Azerbaijan is tired of America’s statements that resumption of
military operations would be “pointless” (in private conversations
they are more specific and say that they will simply not allow us to
do that). However, when the Azerbaijani authorities take some steps
towards Russia and Iran, Washington gets irritated. One wants to ask
the question: “Did you not want this?”
Opposition as leverage
That the Azerbaijani leadership pays more attention to relations with
Russia and Iran, in the opinion of the Russian media, has to do with
the fact that Azerbaijani opposition politicians who are not
pro-Western feel comfortable in those countries. Therefore, Aliyev is
concerned that with support from Russia or Iran this opposition could
destabilize the situation in Azerbaijan. Still, Washington too, could
use the “opposition card” and wield it to put pressure on the Baku
government.