WHY ARE THE RELATIONS WITH THE USA WORSEN?
by Elsad Mammadli

Yeni Musavat
Jan 17 2010
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani authorities continue to worsen relations with the USA.

The authorities have already taken some steps such as challenging
the West over the recent period. The reason for the failure of the
energy summit scheduled to be held in Georgia’s Batumi on 14 January
is also linked to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s refusal to
attend the summit.

The specific reason for Aliyev’s refusal to attend the summit is
unknown but Western experts link it to the decision of the US Congress
to allocate financial aid to [Azerbaijani breakaway region of] Nagornyy
Karabakh in a new financial year and the latest ongoing processes in
the region as well as unpleasant relations between Washington and Baku.

The authorities have taken another step towards the West in this
period. Diplomats of the US and Norwegian embassies in Azerbaijan
were prevented from visiting the Azerbaijani exclave of Naxcivan with
representatives of those embassies summoned to the Foreign Ministry
where they received a warning.

Earlier representatives of the authorities have made severe statements
against the West. What is the aim of such an approach? What aim do the
authorities pursue by worsening relations with the USA at this moment?

The head of the West-East Researches Centre, Arastun Oruclu, says
Russia is a permanent factor which plays a role in worsening relations
between the USA and Azerbaijan. "We witness similar demarches as a
result of impact of Russia on the Azerbaijani authorities. Naturally,
worsening relations with the West benefits neither the authorities,
nor our state. Because the countries in the region, including ours,
currently enter into a more serious period. Azerbaijan should pursue
a flexible foreign policy at this moment. Such policy should not be
limited to only Russia and Iran but also Turkey and the USA. But it
is unfortunate that the authorities pursue a unilateral policy. The
foreign policy pursued by the authorities is pro-Russian and
pro-Iranian, the level of relations with Turkey is kept confidential.

But relations with the West are being worsened. I think today the
authorities should make serious changes to the foreign policy. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs should pursue more flexible policies or
carry out serious reforms", Oruclu said.

Oruclu also believes that the reason for the failure of the energy
summit in a format planned is not only Ilham Aliyev’s refusal to
attend the summit. One of the reasons is that the West refrained from
demarches of Russia. Second, it is not ruled out that the USA was also
interested in the failure of the summit. Because the overwhelming
majority of members of the US delegation, who attended the event,
were representatives of the Republican Party.

The deputy chairman of the opposition Musavat Party blames both
Azerbaijan and the USA for cool relations between the two countries.

The USA has yet to appoint its ambassador to Azerbaijan. This is a
disrespect for our country. Being one of the co-chair countries [of
the OSCE Minsk Group], the USA has left the settlement of Karabakh
conflict to Russia and the latter uses the chance to earn political
dividends and exert an economic pressure on some countries rather
than settle the problem. Azerbaijan warns about the non-constructive
position of the international community on the settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. But this does not give the right to a small
country like Azerbaijan which experiences sufficient problems to choose
a confrontational position against the powerful countries. I don’t
think this is the official policy of the state. This is a result
of arbitrariness of some officials. A meeting between visiting
US Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar and the
Azerbaijani president on 15 January and the circulation of positive
reports about the meeting showed that the superpowers must be able
to cooperate with small countries. They should not display negative
attitude towards their problems. I do not believe that Azerbaijan has
taken a position to cool political relations with the West. Because
this could be a risky step by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a member of
a number of international organizations representing the West and has
repeatedly stated that its adherence to the policy of integration into
the West. Some problematic issues do really exist. The Azerbaijani
authorities should take into consideration some criticism made by the
West. These are issues concerning democracy and human rights. Because
the development dialectics of a globalizing world requires this.