EXPERTS BELIEVE AZERBAIJAN – U.S. RELATIONS NOT TO EXPERIENCE DRASTIC CHANGES AFTER OBAMA’S ELECTION
Trend News Agency
Nov 5 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 November /Trend News/ Democrat Barack Obama won
the presidential election in the United States.
What changes in the United States’ foreign policy for Azerbaijan are
expected? May the United States’ approach towards settling of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict change?
Trend News agency posed the questions to experts and political
scientists:
Ali Hasanov, the head of the Socio-Political Department of the
Azerbaijani President’s Office: Azerbaijan-U.S. relations are of
both nations’ interests and they should be maintained in terms of
partnership. Whoever will head the country, the policy based on the
people’s choice must be continued.
Certainly, the best president is the one elected by the people. If the
American people have elected Barack Obama, so the wishes and hopes
of the people will be reflected in his further activity. And that
is to Azerbaijan’s good, because the state interests of Azerbaijan
coincide with those of the American people.
The policy formed under the influence of any diaspora in most cases
does not meet the interests of Americans. To put it more precisely,
the endeavours of the Armenian diaspora to direct the policy of the
US Government do not meet the interests of the American people.
Therefore, whoever the president will be, the United States will show
preference for common interests, the state and national interests. And
this policy meets the interests of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the
US policy is based not only on the wish of the American people, but
sometimes is influenced by certain diasporas. That does not meet the
common interests of our countries.
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse: The United States will keep
adhering to development of bilateral relations with Azerbaijan, and
the new U.S. administration will only change the methods to achieve
the goal. And the goal will remain the same – to achieve peace and
stability in the region.
United States’ main focus in the region will be to develop the
bilateral relations in terms of energy security, to develop democracy
and stability in the region. Azerbaijan will still take an important
place in the foreign policy of the United States.
Independent Azerbaijani political expert Rustam Mammadov: The
U.S. interests are over the interests of the presidents. If president
decides to make any changes in the interests, he must first coordinate
them with the all state organizations. Probably, some improvement of
the management model will take place, but that is most likely to be
linked not with the new president but with a new activity stage of
the American statehood.
Anyway, I do not believe any serious change will take place in the
U.S. policy. Moreover, Barack Obama visited Baku and is well aware
of the situation. Further cooperation between the United States and
Azerbaijan must be provided.
Independent Azerbaijani political scientist Vafa Guluzade:
The new U.S. President will correct the changes made by the Bush
Administration, particularly those in the Islamic world. The United
States proved its democracy through this election.
Many say that Barack Obama tends to support Armenians, but I think
he should try to unyoke Armenia from Russia and help it to normalize
relations with neighbours as many will benefit from it, in other words,
Armenia will normalize its ties with neighbours and Azerbaijan will
recover Nagorno-Karabakh.
Isa Gambar, chief of right central opposition Musavat Party of
Azerbaijan: Usually, new US president does not make profound changes
in foreign policy. The United States supports foreign policy built
on conceptual framework. New presidents continue foreign policy
consistent with US interest. Barack Obama’s election as president
can bring about some changes. Given Obama’s promise to recognize
so-called "genocide" of Armenians, analysts say new president will
not depend on oil sector of US. These two factors can be reasons for
Obama’s different approach towards the region and ongoing processes
in Azerbaijan. Therefore, Azerbaijan should take into account all
these realities and make every effort to bring into the notice of
elite and new US Administration the significance of the region, its
problems and interests in a more accurate way. I think this approach
also concerns Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Russia’s becoming more active
in the region and Moscow’s attempts to force US out of this region
should be taken into consideration by US.
Aydin Mirzazade, member of Political Council of governing New
Azerbaijan Party: Barack Obama’s election as president will
not lead to radical changes in Azerbaijan-US ties. They are
partners. Azerbaijan makes its own contribution to the war on terror
and ensures energy security in the region. Concerning settlement of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, I think new US president will work hard
to protect internal policy of the country within the coming two years
and then to get actively involved in the resolution of the conflict.
Ali Karimli, chief of right central opposition Popular Front Party of
Azerbaijan: Most probably, US foreign policy will not undergo cardinal
changes during Barack Obama’s term of office as whoever is president,
it serves national interests.
Lately, US supported territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This is
a position of a state, but not only George Bush administration. We
should do nothing and wait for new administration to clarify position
towards Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We should advance some initiative,
further strengthen US-Azerbaijani ties and make every effort so that
US will accept Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity as a key principle
in resolution of the conflict.
MP Siyavush Novruzov, deputy chief of New Azerbaijan Party:
Azerbaijan-US ties will not undergo changes during Barack Obama
presidency. Whoever takes a lead in US administration – Democrats or
Republicans, the United States will pursue consistent policy. New
US administration is also willing to solve Armenian-Azerbaijan
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is favourable for US first of all.