AZERI LEADER DRAWS LINE ON HELPING U.S. VS. IRAN
By Barry Schweid

Chicago Tribune
April 27 2006

WASHINGTON — President Ilham Aliev of Azerbaijan opened a three-day
visit to the United States on Wednesday by saying he would not
allow his country to be used by the U.S. for any operations against
neighboring Iran.

Aliev, scheduled to meet with President Bush on Friday, cited a
“very clear” agreement with Iran that the two countries would not
permit their territory to be used for operations against the other.

His visit comes at a time of rising U.S. tensions with Iran over its
nuclear program, and Aliev said he would remain at arms’ length from
that conflict.

“Azerbaijan will not be engaged in any kind of potential operation
against Iran,” he said in remarks at the private Council on Foreign
Relations.

The Caspian nation, which shares a border with Iran and Russia, is
strategically important to the U.S. because of its location and its
role in supplying oil to the West.

Azerbaijan wants to remain an “island of stability” in the region,
Aliev said. At the same time, he said Azerbaijan had sent troops to
Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo and would “do its best to stand shoulder
to shoulder” with the United States on security.

The president, who took office in October 2003, has the potential to
be an intermediary between the Bush administration and Iran. Iranian
Defense Minister Mustafa Mohammad Najjar, on a visit to Baku last
week, said Aliev could use his talks in Washington to “explain”
Iran’s views to the United States.

Aliev said he did not think Iran would be a “major aspect” of his
talks in Washington, which are due to include a meeting with Vice
President Dick Cheney. But he said that “if the question of regional
security arises we will discuss it.”

Azerbaijan is committed to peace in the region, he said. “We need to
try to provide peace and stability.”

“At this time,” he said, “it is best to concentrate on a peaceful
resolution” of the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programs, which the
United States and European allies say seek development of a nuclear
bomb.

On another issue, Aliev conceded there was need for political reform
in his country, a former Soviet republic that became independent 16
years ago. Referring to Azerbaijan’s energy boom, Aliev said “economic
reform without political reform will lead to severe problems.” He
said his country was moving forward on both fronts.

Rights groups have criticized the nation for restricting political
and human rights and questioned whether U.S. criticism would be muted
due to Azerbaijan’s role in supplying oil.

The international pro-democracy group Freedom House on Tuesday said
Azerbaijan restricts political and human rights and is among the
lowest-ranked countries in the private rights group’s annual surveys.

“President Bush has made democracy promotion a priority of his
presidency,” Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor said.

“His upcoming meeting with President Aliev presents an important
opportunity for him to discuss Azerbaijan’s democracy deficit.”

In response to questions Wednesday, Aliev rejected the description
of his government as a “regime” and said, “We have all the major
freedoms.”

In his remarks, Aliev spoke most about a dispute with Armenia over the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave of Azerbaijan. Ethnic Armenian forces are in
the region in what Aliev called an occupation. He said Azerbaijan’s
recovery of the territory is not subject to negotiations.