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Azeri opposition leaders say oil pipeline to promote democracy
Zerkalo, Baku
26 May 05
Once launched, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline has put the South
Caucasus region completely under the West's control, Baku-based daily
Zerkalo has said. Oil can no longer be a "bargaining chip" between
Baku and the West in issues of democratization, the daily added. In
the meantime, an opposition official, Sardar Calaloglu, said that
Azerbaijan would pump oil through Baku-Ceyhan and import European
human rights values in return. People's Front Party Chairman Ali
Karimli also agreed that energy projects would promote democracy in
the country. The following is an excerpt from R. Mirqadirov's report
by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 26 May headlined "It is the pipe
that matters"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [BTC] pipeline was launched at a solemn
ceremony at the Sanqacal terminal 40 km south of Baku
yesterday. [Passage omitted: known details of ceremony and addresses
of participants]
BTC to solve both economic and political problems...
It is very rare for our opposition to positively evaluate developments
in the country. This case was a pleasant exception.
In an interview with APA news agency, the chairman of the Azarbaycan
Milli Istiqlal Party [AMIP], Ali Aliyev, has said that the BTC is a
major project that will help Azerbaijan develop both economically and
politically. He said that the forces which had been sceptical about
the implementation of the project, would have to accept the actual
existence of the pipeline.
The AMIP chairman called on the government of Azerbaijan to make a
good use of this project both politically and economically. He also
recalled that international oil prices had risen several times. He
said that the Azerbaijani government should use the BTC project to
resolve the country's political problems.
...pipe in European values
The first deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan,
Sardar Calaloglu, said that such continental economic projects were
part of globalization. The BTC is also a program connected to the EU's
Neighbourhood Policy, he said.
"The BTC does not only tie Azerbaijan with Europe economically, it is
also directed at importing European values into Azerbaijan and at
democratizing the country. We consider it as a pipeline of freedom. We
believe that oil should flow through the BTC to Europe, while in the
figurative meaning the European values of democracy and respect for
human rights and freedoms should flow back through the same pipeline
from Europe to Azerbaijan.
"Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani government considers this project to
be a concession to Europe and wants Europe to turn a blind eye to all
the faults in Azerbaijan in return. However, the companies interested
in the implementation of the mentioned project, as well as big powers,
realize that the BTC should bring the country freedom and democracy
and strengthen our independence and help Azerbaijan integrate into
Europe not only politically, but also economically. This is why I
appreciate this project," Calaloglu said.
...promote democracy
The chairman of the People's Front of Azerbaijan Party, Ali Karimli,
recalled that the idea of the construction of the BTC existed under
[late Azerbaijani President] Abulfaz Elcibay. Today, this idea has
become a reality.
"The first step towards the construction of this pipeline was taken on
9 March 1993. President Elcibay even set up a working group to discuss
this issue with Turkey. But these plans were upset due to the riot in
June 1993 [attempted coup led by Col Surat Huseynov]. Only four years
later did the Azerbaijani government start realizing this idea.
"We have always supported this idea since we authored it. The country
will be more democratic as Azerbaijan gets integrated into the world
community. There has recently been an idea that the oil contracts are
a factor that hinders democracy in Azerbaijan. But the developments
show that the oil contracts and the pipeline are not against but in
favour of democratization. The companies and the states that have made
major investments in Azerbaijan and want to benefit economically are
interested in lasting stability in the region."
The Union of Azerbaijanist Forces also believes that the launch of the
BTC pipeline is a historic event. There is also hope that this event
will play a paramount role in bringing a solution to the Karabakh
conflict and improving the wellbeing of the Azerbaijanis.
[Passage omitted: British Premier Tony Blair's congratulation]
...and put region under West's control
So, this has taken place. It is time to make several
conclusions. First of all, the transmission of the region under the
control of the West, especially the USA, is now virtually
irreversible. This should be understood by all, and by the ruling
elite in the South Caucasus in the first place.
Second, official Baku needs to understand something else. Already, it
is not worth considering a military solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. The USA will never agree to the resumption of hostilities,
which could endanger the operation of the BTC pipeline. It is not by a
mere chance that the US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group said in
Baku that the cease-fire had been in effect for 11 years and should
continue to be effective. Therefore, it is time to give up belligerent
rhetoric and think of other effective methods of restoring sovereignty
over the entire territory of the country.
Third, it is important to realize that with the launch of the BTC, oil
can no longer be a bargaining chip with the West, above all with the
USA, especially in issues concerning democratization in the
country. There remain relations with Iran and the deployment of US
mobile forces in Azerbaijan. But it is hardly worth resisting to these
issues because even [Kazakh President] Nursultan Nazarbayev gave up to
the West in the issue of joining the BTC despite the pressure from the
Kremlin.
And finally, another considerable blow has been dealt to Armenia. An
agreement has been signed on the construction of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku
railway. It means that Armenia has been sidelined from another
important regional project.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Zerkalo, Baku
26 May 05
Once launched, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline has put the South
Caucasus region completely under the West's control, Baku-based daily
Zerkalo has said. Oil can no longer be a "bargaining chip" between
Baku and the West in issues of democratization, the daily added. In
the meantime, an opposition official, Sardar Calaloglu, said that
Azerbaijan would pump oil through Baku-Ceyhan and import European
human rights values in return. People's Front Party Chairman Ali
Karimli also agreed that energy projects would promote democracy in
the country. The following is an excerpt from R. Mirqadirov's report
by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 26 May headlined "It is the pipe
that matters"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan [BTC] pipeline was launched at a solemn
ceremony at the Sanqacal terminal 40 km south of Baku
yesterday. [Passage omitted: known details of ceremony and addresses
of participants]
BTC to solve both economic and political problems...
It is very rare for our opposition to positively evaluate developments
in the country. This case was a pleasant exception.
In an interview with APA news agency, the chairman of the Azarbaycan
Milli Istiqlal Party [AMIP], Ali Aliyev, has said that the BTC is a
major project that will help Azerbaijan develop both economically and
politically. He said that the forces which had been sceptical about
the implementation of the project, would have to accept the actual
existence of the pipeline.
The AMIP chairman called on the government of Azerbaijan to make a
good use of this project both politically and economically. He also
recalled that international oil prices had risen several times. He
said that the Azerbaijani government should use the BTC project to
resolve the country's political problems.
...pipe in European values
The first deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan,
Sardar Calaloglu, said that such continental economic projects were
part of globalization. The BTC is also a program connected to the EU's
Neighbourhood Policy, he said.
"The BTC does not only tie Azerbaijan with Europe economically, it is
also directed at importing European values into Azerbaijan and at
democratizing the country. We consider it as a pipeline of freedom. We
believe that oil should flow through the BTC to Europe, while in the
figurative meaning the European values of democracy and respect for
human rights and freedoms should flow back through the same pipeline
from Europe to Azerbaijan.
"Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani government considers this project to
be a concession to Europe and wants Europe to turn a blind eye to all
the faults in Azerbaijan in return. However, the companies interested
in the implementation of the mentioned project, as well as big powers,
realize that the BTC should bring the country freedom and democracy
and strengthen our independence and help Azerbaijan integrate into
Europe not only politically, but also economically. This is why I
appreciate this project," Calaloglu said.
...promote democracy
The chairman of the People's Front of Azerbaijan Party, Ali Karimli,
recalled that the idea of the construction of the BTC existed under
[late Azerbaijani President] Abulfaz Elcibay. Today, this idea has
become a reality.
"The first step towards the construction of this pipeline was taken on
9 March 1993. President Elcibay even set up a working group to discuss
this issue with Turkey. But these plans were upset due to the riot in
June 1993 [attempted coup led by Col Surat Huseynov]. Only four years
later did the Azerbaijani government start realizing this idea.
"We have always supported this idea since we authored it. The country
will be more democratic as Azerbaijan gets integrated into the world
community. There has recently been an idea that the oil contracts are
a factor that hinders democracy in Azerbaijan. But the developments
show that the oil contracts and the pipeline are not against but in
favour of democratization. The companies and the states that have made
major investments in Azerbaijan and want to benefit economically are
interested in lasting stability in the region."
The Union of Azerbaijanist Forces also believes that the launch of the
BTC pipeline is a historic event. There is also hope that this event
will play a paramount role in bringing a solution to the Karabakh
conflict and improving the wellbeing of the Azerbaijanis.
[Passage omitted: British Premier Tony Blair's congratulation]
...and put region under West's control
So, this has taken place. It is time to make several
conclusions. First of all, the transmission of the region under the
control of the West, especially the USA, is now virtually
irreversible. This should be understood by all, and by the ruling
elite in the South Caucasus in the first place.
Second, official Baku needs to understand something else. Already, it
is not worth considering a military solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. The USA will never agree to the resumption of hostilities,
which could endanger the operation of the BTC pipeline. It is not by a
mere chance that the US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group said in
Baku that the cease-fire had been in effect for 11 years and should
continue to be effective. Therefore, it is time to give up belligerent
rhetoric and think of other effective methods of restoring sovereignty
over the entire territory of the country.
Third, it is important to realize that with the launch of the BTC, oil
can no longer be a bargaining chip with the West, above all with the
USA, especially in issues concerning democratization in the
country. There remain relations with Iran and the deployment of US
mobile forces in Azerbaijan. But it is hardly worth resisting to these
issues because even [Kazakh President] Nursultan Nazarbayev gave up to
the West in the issue of joining the BTC despite the pressure from the
Kremlin.
And finally, another considerable blow has been dealt to Armenia. An
agreement has been signed on the construction of the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku
railway. It means that Armenia has been sidelined from another
important regional project.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress