AZERBAIJAN IS MUCH OBLIGED TO THE USA
by Irada Alekperova, Alexei Slobodin
Translated by A. Ignatkin
Source: Vremya Novostei, April 28, 2006, p. 5
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 3, 2006 Wednesday
…But It Isn’t Going To Participate In An Operation Against Iran
AN UPDATE ON PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON; Wrapping
up his first visit to the United States, President Ilham Aliyev of
Azerbaijan will meet with US President George W. Bush today. Aliyev
met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Secretary of State
Robert Zoellick. On Wednesday, Aliyev addressed the Council on
Foreign Relations.
Wrapping up his first visit to the United States, President Ilham
Aliyev of Azerbaijan will meet with US President George W. Bush
today. Aliyev met with Vice President Dick Cheney and Deputy Secretary
of State Robert Zoellick. On Wednesday, the first day of the visit,
Aliyev met with US Representatives and addressed the Council on
Foreign Relations. Along with bilateral relations and war on terrorism,
his speech concerned regional problems with an emphasis on Iran and
Nagorno-Karabakh, and security of energy exports and transportation
projects in the basins of the Caspian and Black seas.
Before the Azeri president’s arrival, a White House press release
announced that “the United States regards Azerbaijan as a key ally
in this strategically vital region of the world” and “an invaluable
partner assisting with Iran.” No matter how seriously the human
rights community is concerned about human rights in Azerbaijan, it
was clear that the US authorities weren’t going to raise the matter of
“the democracy shortage in Azerbaijan” during the talks.
“It was extremely important for Baku to make its worries and concerns
known to the US Administration,” said political scientist Rasim
Musabekov. “It stands to reason, however, that it was important for
the United States too, if it had invited Aliyev to Washington.”
Aliyev, a graduate from the Moscow State Institute of International
Relations (run by the Soviet Foreign Ministry at the time),
delivered his speech in English. Aliyev said that “Baku regards
relations with the United States as a strategic priority” and added
that cooperation between the two countries encompassed all spheres,
including military. Aliyev said that it was time to put an end to
“any and all speculations” on Baku’s participation “in the potential
operations in Iran nearby.” Aliyev reminded the Council on Foreign
Relations that nearly 30 million ethnic Azeris live in Iran, whose
population amounts to 70 million. And besides, Azerbaijan and Iran
signed an agreement pledging not to provide the territories for
“any threats with regard to the partner.”
Aliyev implied that Baku would make a fine intermediary in the Iranian
nuclear crisis. “If it is the opinion of the international community
that our participation is a must, then it may be discussed,” he
said. Defense Minister of Iran Mustafa Mohammed Nadjar had visited Baku
last week. “President Aliyev may tell the US authorities the correct
direction in the matter of American-Iranian relations,” he said.
Political scientist Ilgar Mamedov from Baku believes that Aliyev’s
whole visit to Washington is centered around Iran. According to
Mamedov, “the United States needed to gauge Azerbaijan’s reaction
to possible economic and political sanctions or a military operation
against Iran.”
“In return for concurrence with economic sanctions, Baku is bound to
try and secure help from America in the return of at least some of
the Armenian-occupied territories on the border with Iran,” Mamedov
said. “After all, absence of Baku’s control over these territories
will certainly render the sanctions ineffective.”
Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations, Aliyev emphasized
that territorial integrity of his country (“acknowledged by all but
Armenia”) is not to be questioned or discussed. However, Azerbaijan
is prepared to offer Nagorno-Karabakh “extensive rights of an
autonomy.” Aliyev hopes that the United States “as a world power and
one of the chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group will facilitate resolution
of the conflict.”
The Azeri visitor complimented the hosts by saying that Azerbaijan
would have never developed its energy sector without help from
America. He said that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum
pipelines were “mostly regional” at first and urged the United States
and European Union to “join” the future energy projects.
Fikret Sadykhov, Director of the Center of Political Information
(Baku) believes that the invitation may be considered without undue
delays because “energy security problems in the southern part of the
Caucasus do worry the American political establishment nowadays.”
When in the United States, Aliyev praised relations with Moscow and
said that “they do not depend on any external factors.” When asked
what he thinks of the assumption that Baku and Moscow are vying for
influence in the post-Soviet zone, Aliyev replied, “Aspiring for the
role of an ‘island of stability,’ Azerbaijan considers itself a region
of cooperation, not confrontation.”