AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT RULES OUT PARTICIPATING IN ACTION AGAINST IRAN
By Stephanie Ho
Voice of America
April 27 2006
Washington
26 April 2006
The president of the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan has begun
a visit to the United States with a call for a diplomatic solution
to the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program. He also said he hopes
Washington can help push for a solution to a dispute with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh, the predominantly Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan. The
Azeri leader came Washington for several days of meetings.
Ilham Aliyev (file photo)
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s first official stop was to address
a session at the Council on Foreign Relations, a private foreign
policy organization.
Azerbaijan has been helpful to the United States in the war on
terror. So, it was perhaps not surprising that the Azeri leader was
asked about his country’s position on neighboring Iran, which is at
the center of an international controversy over its nuclear program.
He voiced his trust in the United States but also made clear that
Azerbaijan did not intend to be involved in any military action
against Iran.
“In our relations with the United States, we have [a] very high level
of mutual confidence and trust, and we’ll continue our military
cooperation because it’s to the benefit of both countries. At the
same time, Azerbaijan, of course, will not be engaged in any kind
of potential operations against Iran, and our officials made it very
clear, including myself, in the past,” he said.
He expressed the hope that the issue of Iran’s nuclear program can
be resolved diplomatically and added that a settlement is important
for regional security.
Georgetown University Professor Angela Stent said that although Mr.
Aliyev may try to steer clear of discussions about Iran, it is an
issue that will undoubtedly come up in his Washington meetings.
“They’re [Azerbaijan] neighbors with Iran. They do have a military
relationship with the United States, although I think he was clearly
implying that they wouldn’t be used in any U.S. military operation.
It’s still clearly an issue that has to be discussed,” she said.
She says in the past, Washington has criticized Azerbaijan’s human
rights record. But now, she adds, the international crisis over Iran
has apparently overshadowed that issue in the eyes of Washington
officials.
“There were parliamentary elections last fall that were not judged
free and fair. And they are going to be re-run again, but they haven’t
happened yet. And I think there are concerns about democratization and
human rights, but I would think that at the moment, the issues, the
strategic issues, must be considered to be more important,” she said.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the U.S. government
is trying to balance a wide range of issues in its relations with
Azerbaijan.
“There are a number of significant interests in our relationship
with Azerbaijan: human rights most definitely, democratic development
most definitely, energy security, stability in the region, the fight
against terror. And we pursue all of these in parallel, while at the
same time sticking to our principles and not sacrificing expediency
for principle,” he said.
In his remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations, President Aliyev
also referred to the problem with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh,
saying he hopes the United States “as a superpower,” will contribute
to the resolution of the conflict.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous territory in southwestern Azerbaijan
that is under Armenian occupation. A 1994 ceasefire ended years of
bloody fighting between Azerbaijan and Armenia, although the issue
has yet to be resolved.
The Azeri leader will be in Washington several days. He meets with
members of Congress and with officials from non-governmental groups
such as Freedom House and Human Rights Watch. On Friday, he is
scheduled to visit the Pentagon and the White House.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress