Moscow trying to get Azerbaijan in military bloc, political analyst says

Yeni Musavat, Baku
24 Jan 05

Text of report by Elsad in Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat on 24
January headlined “Lavrov comes to ‘pressure’ Azerbaijan” and
subheaded “Moscow wants to get Baku in its military-strategic orbit”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s expected visit to Azerbaijan
[on 2-3 February] has raised some questions. Even, some speculate that
Moscow is trying to take over the initiative in the region in the
run-up to the Iran operations to prevent US plans to use Azerbaijani
territory. Moscow is believed to be sending Lavrov to Baku to get
Azerbaijan aligned with the CIS Collective Security Treaty. The fact
that the Russian president openly spoke about it in his last expanded
news conference was a herald of this intention of the [Soviet]
empire’s successor. Undoubtedly, if Moscow, which is against the Iran
operations, manages to have Baku agree to join this treaty, there will
be problems for the USA in using Azerbaijani territory.

Stressing that a proposal of this kind has been made [on Azerbaijan’s
membership of the Collective Security Treaty], political analyst [and
former head of the Azerbaijani presidential secretariat] Eldar Namazov
has however said that this is not taken quite positively in
Azerbaijan. “It would be ridiculous for Azerbaijan to be in the
military bloc with the occupying country. I do not think anybody can
see Azerbaijan in that bloc before Armenia liberates the Azerbaijani
territories.”

The expert recalled that Lavrov will visit Azerbaijan for the first
time against the background of the recent developments in the CIS,
namely in Georgia and Ukraine. “Therefore, it will be an interesting
visit for all. Namely, does Russia have any corrections over the
recent developments in the CIS? We will find an answer to this
question during Lavrov’s visit.”

“A revolution has turned into an actual threat in Russia. I already
see a lot of young people among protesters. From this viewpoint,
Moscow should end playing with our fate,” another political analyst
[and former presidential advisor on foreign policy issues] Vafa
Quluzada has said. It is “inadmissible” for Azerbaijan to follow
Russia, he believes. “It is possible to maintain relations with Russia
after a normal government is established there.” Quluzada believes
that Lavrov is coming to pressure official Baku to ensure that
Azerbaijan joins the Collective Security Treaty.

“Visits of this kind will not have negative results if Azerbaijan does
not join the treaty. If otherwise, adverse results for our national
interests are inevitable.”