REASONS WHY ALIYEV DID NOT MEET OBAMA’S ENVOY RISE TO THE SURFACE
by F. Mammadov

Yeni Musavat
June 13 2009
Azerbaijan

Assistant secretary of state made political mistake in Yerevan

The interruption of the visit to Baku by US Assistant Secretary of
State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon has brought up
many questions. As was reported, the high-ranking diplomat in his first
regional debut was not received by President Ilham Aliyev in Baku and
had to interrupt his visit. Neither the Presidential Administration,
nor the US embassy to Baku explained the reasons why Philip Gordon
was not received by Ilham Aliyev.

This is the first time that a high-ranking US official left Baku
without meeting the president. Actually, this shows that Gordon’s
visit was unsuccessful. Since president decides everything in countries
like Azerbaijan and the failure of Philip Gordon, who was dispatched
to Baku with a special task by President Barack Obama, to meet him
[the president] made insignificant other issues that were discussed.

Upon his arrival in Baku, Gordon told journalists that amongst issues
he was about to discuss with officials would be the resumption of
broadcast of foreign radio stations on FM frequencies and the problem
of Nagornyy Karabakh. From this point of view, it is likely that the
president of the country, who is not interested in the resumption of
foreign radio stations on FM frequencies as well as reluctant to step
back, has found a simple way out of the situation, that is to say,
refused meeting the US diplomat.

This step is a demonstrative gesture of Aliyev to the USA and its new
administration. Nevertheless, we wonder if there is only the issue of
the radio stations behind this gesture, or are there other and more
fundamental issues there? It seems there are and they are caused by
the Southern Caucasus priorities of the Obama administration.

If to pay attention, since his accession to power, Obama has made some
serious pro-Armenian steps. During his visit to Turkey, he sought to
succeed in having an agreement signed on the opening of borders between
Armenia and Turkey, trying to influence the Azerbaijani president to
this end. Obama was the first US president, who described the 1915
events as the Armenians do, using the term in the Armenian language.

Finally, the diplomat, whom he sent to the South Caucasus with a
special mission, started his visit from Yerevan and in a demonstrative
manner, like sending out a message to Azerbaijan, he stated that
this was not by chance. In Yerevan Philip Gordon said that the
US administration attaches great importance to the relations with
Armenia and it was not accidental for him to start his visit from
there [Yerevan]. The diplomat also issued statements on the Karabakh
conflict close to Armenia’s position.

It emerged that the most important country for the USA in the region
is exactly Armenia and by dispatching his envoy to Armenia first,
President Obama wanted it be interpreted by the regional countries as a
message. It also turned out that even Georgia is not the most important
regional country for the current US administration. Anticipating
real steps from the Obama administration to make Armenians to
real compromises, Azerbaijan, which is the main regional security
and energy partner of the USA, finds out that Armenia is the most
important country for Washington in this region.

Following this message of the US diplomat sounded in Yerevan and
President Aliyev’s refusal to receive him could actually be considered
a proper answer to Washington. By this reply, the Azerbaijani leader
saved himself from hearing unpleasant conversation of Obama’s envoy
on democracy, radio stations and other similar issues. If Armenia is
a more important country for the Obama administration, what is the
point of discussing issues of democracy with him?!

APA news agency reports that the president did not receive the US
diplomat for his "tight schedule"…[ellipses as published]