ENVOY REITERATES US SUPPORT TO GEORGIA, AZERBAIJAN

Turan news agency
Aug 26 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku, 26 August: US Vice-President Dick Cheney’s visit to Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Italy in early September is intended
to consolidate strategic partnership relations in all spheres
between the two states [as published], and that it will be the most
representative US delegation that has visited Baku since bilateral
relations were established. US Ambassador Anne Derse told this to a
group of Azerbaijani journalists in Baku. She said that the visit was
connected with the situation in Georgia and Cheney would visit Tbilisi
to show solidarity with and support to the people of Georgia, as well
as to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. The visit
to the region is aimed at showing Washington’s support to Georgia’s and
Azerbaijan’s orientation towards integration into the Euro-Atlantic
space, the ambassador said. She gave to understand that it was not
spontaneous but a preplanned visit, however the developments in
Georgia attached special "topicality" to the visit.

"After Russia’s incursion into the territory of a sovereign state and
the US steps were not intended to threaten Russia. However, things
that mean that we cannot behave as if nothing occurred. Russia’s
deeds speak for themselves and many in the region fear that those
deeds are aimed not only against Georgia but against those aspiring
democracy. Being independent states, Georgia and Azerbaijan will
themselves define their course and in doing so they can rely on US
support and cooperation. Dick Cheney’s visit is intended to stress
this support," Derse said. She said that a wide range of issues,
first of all security problems and energy cooperation, would be
discussed at a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev. "We will work
with Azerbaijan to ensure its interests in the issues of delivering
its energy resources to world markets," she said.

Asked by a Turan correspondent what moves would Washington make in
Georgia if Russia refuses to pull back troops, the ambassador said
that the situation there was absolutely unacceptable. "We demanded
that all troops be pulled out, hostilities be ceased and humanitarian
corridors be opened. We also declared that territorial integrity of
Georgia cannot be put into question. If the situation does not change,
together with our partners we will continue demanding that all these
terms be fulfilled and take relevant steps in this direction," Derse
said. The ambassador evaded the question about the possibility of the
US providing direct military aid to Georgia. Asked what the USA may
offer Azerbaijan and Georgia to ensure security of the [oil and gas]
pipelines and transport routes in the light of direct threats to these
communication lines from Russia, the ambassador gave to understand that
all this had been taken into account and these issues would be in the
focus of attention during Cheney’s consultations with the Azerbaijani
leadership. Asked by the Turan correspondent what ordinary citizens
of Azerbaijan could wait from Cheney’s visit and would their live
be safer after the visit, the ambassador said "the main task is to
restore stability and security in the region and ensure continuation
of our strategic partnership and that is in the interests of everyone".

She added that the issues of ensuring democracy and the forthcoming
presidential election would be discussed during the visit.

She refused to comment on rumours that the OSCE Minsk Group for
[the settlement of] Nagornyy Karabakh conflict may be dissolved,
saying that she "has not heard such rumours".