ALIYEV BEGINS CRUCIAL US VISIT
By Enes Cansever, Baku
Zaman Online, Turkey
April 26 2006
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev set off to the United States
yesterday for a critical official visit taking place at a time when
the Iranian crisis has deepened. Aliyev will meet US President George
W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman.
The issues in the nuclear crisis with Azerbaijan’s neighbor, Iran,
and the Upper Karabag (Karabagh) under the Armenian occupation,
are expected to mark Aliyev’s three-day visit.
Aliyev’s foreign policy adviser, Novruz Mammadov, told Zaman that four
main subjects such as dual relations, energy, regional security and
international terrorism will be handled, but the Iran and Karabagh
issues will be the main focus of the Aliyev-Bush talks.
Mammadov announced Baku wants the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program
to be overcome by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the
United Nations. “There are enough problems in the region already. As
the nation of Azerbaijan, we have never had and we will never have
any intention of interfering in Iran’s domestic affairs. We are
ready to offer the necessary support for this issue to be solved by
peaceful means.”
The Azeri official also criticized Tehran for following a policy
favoring Yerevan over the Karabagh issue despite Baku’s policy of
mutual respect and good neighborly relations.
Mammadov, also criticizing the US on this issue, highlighted that
Washington remains silent regarding Armenia that continues to occupy
one fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory.
“The United States may instantly take action for disagreements in
other countries. We think it should show the same sensitivity for
Azerbaijan, too,” the Azeri official added.
Mammadov said the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe) Minsk Group co-chairs have not been able to make any concrete
progress in the Karabagh case for years. “We believe the problem will
be solved if the US shows necessary sensitivity.”
Strategist Rasim Musabaev said Aliyev’s visit, taken at a time when
the Tehran-Washington conflict is at its peak, is no coincidence.
One of the most important ways for Baku to emerge from the Iranian
crisis with least damage is to follow a policy parallel to Turkey,
Musabaev added.
The Azeri official maintained Turkey and Azerbaijan are facing
US pressure over the Iranian issue. “It is difficult for these two
countries to say ‘yes’ to the United States because Iran is neighbors
both countries; therefore, we should focus on ways of solving the
problem peacefully.”
The Azeris also indicate the importance of the visit Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay to Baku on May 5.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Baku Turan Morali said Turkey and Azerbaijan
carefully follow Iran’s nuclear crisis and said the two brother
countries want the problem to be solved through peaceful means.