Bush-Aliev meeting expected in Washington: Situation in Iran and the
Karabakh conflict (analysis)

ArmRadio.am
28.04.2006 15:55

Today US President George Bush will receive Azeri President Ilham
Aliev in the White House. The negotiations will focus on the situation
over Iran and the prospects of resolution of the Karabakh
conflict. Aliev has already declared that Azerbaijan will not join any
possible military action against Iran. Today the Azeri President is
scheduled to meet also Vice-President Dick Cheney and Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Washington recognized the independence of
Azerbaijan at the end of 1991, in March 1992 US Embassy was opened in
Baku. The highest US Official that visited Azerbaijan during the next
15 years was Secretary of State James Backer: February 12, 1992 the
State Secretary visited Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku in the framework of
a regional visit.

Instead, higher officials of Azerbaijan have paid visits to
Washington. Heydar Aliev visited US twice. In 2001 Heydar Aliev and
Robert Kocharyan held negotiations in Key West, Florida, after which
on the way back Bush, Jr. had short meetings with Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan. It should be reminded also that in May 1999 in
the framework of celebration of the 50th anniversary of NATO, US
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright started the series of meetings
between Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, which continues up until
now.

Generally, for the US Azerbaijan is considered one of the most
important countries in the Caspian Basin. The most serious issues,
which has existed and exist in Washington-Baku relations are the
question of democracy and violation of human rights in
Azerbaijan. There have been no elections except for the presidential
ones in 1992, which the US would consider democratic. Moreover, in
summer 1993, when Heydar Aliev seized power through a military-state
revolution, for a certain period of time those in Washington
considered Elchibey the President of Azerbaijan. Despite the critical
position because of the election frauds, the US executed no sanction
against Baku. It was only once that the US executed sanctions in 1992,
since Azerbaijan blockaded Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The question
here is about correction 907, which actually lost its force after the
terrorist act of September 2001.

How do those in Baku comment Ilham Aliev’s visit to Washington and the
American-Azerbaijani relations.

Asim Mollazade, Azeri PM, `The is of great importance for development
of relations between Baku and Washington. Today US is actively
involved in the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict. This
question will become central in the negotiations. The cooperation
between the two countries in the sphere of energy is no less
important.’

Isa Ghambar, President of `Musavat’ Party, `For a long time Ilham
Aliev was not invited to Washington. The reason was the mass frauds
during 2003 presidential elections.’