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DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 17, 2006 Friday
PEACE IS FORCED ON BAKU AND YEREVAN
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, March 15, 2006, p. 4
Washington needs a bridgehead of stability in the southern part of
the Caucasus to deal with Iran
by Sokhbet Magomedov
AMERICA'S INSISTENCE ON A SETTLEMENT OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
IN 2006 HAS AN EXPLANATION; Washington insists on a solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem this year already.
The visit of US Undersecretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Daniel
Freed and Stephen Mann, American chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group for
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, to Baku ended yesterday. The
Americans met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov and
were granted an audience with President Ilham Aliyev. Nothing is
reported on what transpired at the meetings and talks. Mann only said
that the sides discussed continuation of talks over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.
The guests left Azerbaijan for Baku. They also intend to visit
Armenia. The American diplomats' visits to Baku and Yerevan take
place when the Karabakh talks are in a cul-de-sac and when presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan threaten to resume the hostilities.
The cease-fire regime is broken practically every day, both
servicemen and noncombatants die and that does not make the whole
mess any easier to sort out. Needless to say, this state of affairs
worries OSCE intermediaries who spare neither time nor effort to keep
Baku and Yerevan from escalation of the hostilities.
Commenting on the highly volatile situation, US Ambassador in
Azerbaijan Rino Harnisch told journalists that "deaths occurring on
the front line show that the conflict is anything but over." The
American diplomat said quite emphatically that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict "should be settled by negotiations only." Wishing that the
recent meeting between presidents Aliyev and Robert Kocharjan in
France had been more productive, Harnisch emphasized the necessity of
regular negotiations between the leaders of the two states and
activization of intermediaries.
The American diplomat's categorical tone matched the statement made
by intermediaries in the wake of the March 7-8 meeting in Washington.
Most Azerbaijani analysts believe that the insistence of world powers
and first and foremost the United States on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement in 2006 exactly, has an ulterior motive. Political
scientist Anar Safikhanov is convinced that "the matter concerns the
mounting tension over the Iranian nuclear program." "It is this
factor precisely that is making international intermediaries and
first and foremost the United States frantic. Now that things are
rapidly progressing to isolation of the "obstinate" Iran, the United
States needs peace and stability in the southern part of the
Caucasus. The Americans view the republics here and particularly
Azerbaijan as a bridgehead - either for isolation of Tehran or for
actual military strikes at this country," Safikhanov said.
Effectiveness of Freed's and Mann's mission will depend on what
Washington intends to offer to Yerevan and Baku. The Americans will
be discussing the same matter with the Armenian leadership later this
week.
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 17, 2006 Friday
PEACE IS FORCED ON BAKU AND YEREVAN
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, March 15, 2006, p. 4
Washington needs a bridgehead of stability in the southern part of
the Caucasus to deal with Iran
by Sokhbet Magomedov
AMERICA'S INSISTENCE ON A SETTLEMENT OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
IN 2006 HAS AN EXPLANATION; Washington insists on a solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem this year already.
The visit of US Undersecretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Daniel
Freed and Stephen Mann, American chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group for
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, to Baku ended yesterday. The
Americans met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov and
were granted an audience with President Ilham Aliyev. Nothing is
reported on what transpired at the meetings and talks. Mann only said
that the sides discussed continuation of talks over the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.
The guests left Azerbaijan for Baku. They also intend to visit
Armenia. The American diplomats' visits to Baku and Yerevan take
place when the Karabakh talks are in a cul-de-sac and when presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan threaten to resume the hostilities.
The cease-fire regime is broken practically every day, both
servicemen and noncombatants die and that does not make the whole
mess any easier to sort out. Needless to say, this state of affairs
worries OSCE intermediaries who spare neither time nor effort to keep
Baku and Yerevan from escalation of the hostilities.
Commenting on the highly volatile situation, US Ambassador in
Azerbaijan Rino Harnisch told journalists that "deaths occurring on
the front line show that the conflict is anything but over." The
American diplomat said quite emphatically that the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict "should be settled by negotiations only." Wishing that the
recent meeting between presidents Aliyev and Robert Kocharjan in
France had been more productive, Harnisch emphasized the necessity of
regular negotiations between the leaders of the two states and
activization of intermediaries.
The American diplomat's categorical tone matched the statement made
by intermediaries in the wake of the March 7-8 meeting in Washington.
Most Azerbaijani analysts believe that the insistence of world powers
and first and foremost the United States on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
settlement in 2006 exactly, has an ulterior motive. Political
scientist Anar Safikhanov is convinced that "the matter concerns the
mounting tension over the Iranian nuclear program." "It is this
factor precisely that is making international intermediaries and
first and foremost the United States frantic. Now that things are
rapidly progressing to isolation of the "obstinate" Iran, the United
States needs peace and stability in the southern part of the
Caucasus. The Americans view the republics here and particularly
Azerbaijan as a bridgehead - either for isolation of Tehran or for
actual military strikes at this country," Safikhanov said.
Effectiveness of Freed's and Mann's mission will depend on what
Washington intends to offer to Yerevan and Baku. The Americans will
be discussing the same matter with the Armenian leadership later this
week.