AZERBAIJANI MP: U.S. WILL PUT PRESSURE ON ARMENIA TO REALIZE ITS GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS IN THE REGION
A. Hasanov
Today
4148.html
March 16 2010
Azerbaijan
Day.Az interview with member of Security and Defense Committee of
Azerbaijani Milli Majlis (Parliament) Zahid Oruj.
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has accepted an invitation to visit
the U.S. to participate in Global Nuclear Safety summit to be held
in April. What are your comments on this fact?
Simple analysis of recent U.S. actions in our region indicates that the
world’s superpower wants to withdraw Armenia from Russian influence
and strengthen its position in the South Caucasus. Inviting Armenian
President to the United States will become just another link in the
chain of U.S. actions to achieve this goal. It should be noted that
the U.S. position in the South Caucasus region is weakening due to
the inactivity of the United States.
A simple monitoring can reveal absence of recent intensive visits by
high U.S. officials to our region. The United States makes its best
with main emphasis on Armenia. Therefore, the United States initiated
the process of normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations and the Committee
on Foreign Relations of the U.S. Congress passed a resolution on the
so-called "Armenian genocide".
In the meantime, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says adoption
of a resolution on the so-called "Armenian genocide" by the Committee
on Foreign Relations was a mistake. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton during a visit to Guatemala also said that the U.S.
Congress will not consider a resolution on "Armenian genocide". In
your opinion, are these statements consistent with the latest U.S.
actions in relation to Armenia?
As you remember, Turkey and Azerbaijan have warned the U.S. that it
is a wrong move to bring resolution on so-called "Armenian genocide"
to the agenda of the Committee on Foreign Relations. Both Turkey and
Azerbaijan have stated that the adoption of such a resolution would
severely damage the U.S. position in our countries casting doubt on
objectivity of this superpower. Despite this, the Committee on Foreign
Relations adopted a resolution on the so-called "Armenian genocide".
This decision is dangerous and it opens opportunity for both the U.S.
and a number of other countries to pass all kinds of resolutions aimed
at putting pressure on Turkey. The move by the Swedish parliament to
recognize the "Armenian genocide" is an example.
After analyzing Turkey and Azerbaijan’s reaction to such steps,
the U.S. leaders are beginning to realize implications this negative
move and attempts to exert pressure on Turkey have for position of
the United States in our region.
Are the U.S. actions based solely on geopolitics?
I don’t think so. The fact is that certain circles in the United
States openly hinted that both Turkey and Azerbaijan also spent their
money to create own lobby in the face of Representatives and other
structures that are important in the American political hierarchy.
Thus, the theme of so-called "Armenian genocide" is becoming some
sort of trade-off as any product on shelves of American hypermarkets.
How do you see future of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation and settlement
of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
Turkey has every reason to refuse further steps to normalize relations
with Armenia. In particular, after the scandalous decision by the
Constitutional Court of Armenia, who made reservation to the protocols
contradicting letter and spirit of the accords, it became clear that
Armenia does not cease to pursue an immoral policy ignoring its own
commitments. Under these conditions, Turkey may refuse to ratify the
Turkish-Armenian protocols and to show the world that the policy of
pressure and blackmail against Turkey will not work and that such
steps cannot make Turkey to open land border with Armenia ignoring
interests of friendly Azerbaijan.
In other words, it became clear for the whole world that the process
of normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations can only run in parallel
with the process of settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Consequently, the fate of these processes depends entirely
on willingness and ability of the U.S. to exert pressure on Armenia
on both these issues. I believe that the U.S. will put pressure on
Armenia, because it suits geopolitical interests of the U.S. in our
region that are not implemented solely because of Armenia.