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EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight:
AZERBAIJAN: VP CHENEY WAS REPORTEDLY LESS THAN DIPLOMATIC IN BAKU
9/08/08
It seems that US Vice President Dick Cheney caused a scene during his
recent visit to Azerbaijan when his hosts declined to follow his
script.
Over the past few days, details have leaked out that indicate that
Cheney's September 3 visit to Baku was a spectacular diplomatic
failure. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
A report published by the Russian daily Kommersant, which cited
sources within President Ilham Aliyev's administration, said the
Cheney visit started with a snub, as neither Aliyev nor Prime Minister
Artur Rasizade were at the airport to greet the US vice president, who
was the highest ranking American official ever to visit Azerbaijan.
Instead First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyubov and Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov greeted Cheney.
The visit apparently went down hill from there. Cheney publicly
expressed Washington's strong commitment to ensuring the continued
flow of energy westward from the Caspian Basin to Turkey along routes
not under the control of Russia. Privately, he pressed Aliyev to make
a firm commitment to sending Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe via the
long planned Nabucco pipeline. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. Aliyev politely declined to take Cheney up on the offer.
"Aliyev made it clear that he values [good] relations with Washington,
but that he is not about to start an argument with Russia," the
Kommersant report said, adding that Azerbaijani aides described Cheney
as becoming "extremely irritated" by Baku's decision to adopt a
"wait-and-see position."
Compounding Cheney's displeasure, immediately following the
discussions Aliyev reportedly telephoned Russian leader Dmitry
Medvedev to inform the Kremlin about the substance of the US energy
stance. Mammadyarov later departed for Moscow for further diplomatic
discussions.
In a fit of pique, Cheney skipped a reception held in Baku in his
honor, according to Azerbaijani sources.
Since Russia's incursion into Georgia, local political experts have
wondered about the geopolitical impact on Azerbaijan. The entire US
energy strategy in the Caspian Basin is predicated on Azerbaijan's
unwavering commitment to the West. The commitment now looks more
fragile than ever, and the Cheney visit may well have done more harm
than good, in terms of retaining Azerbaijan's allegiance to
Washington's energy agenda.
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight:
AZERBAIJAN: VP CHENEY WAS REPORTEDLY LESS THAN DIPLOMATIC IN BAKU
9/08/08
It seems that US Vice President Dick Cheney caused a scene during his
recent visit to Azerbaijan when his hosts declined to follow his
script.
Over the past few days, details have leaked out that indicate that
Cheney's September 3 visit to Baku was a spectacular diplomatic
failure. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive].
A report published by the Russian daily Kommersant, which cited
sources within President Ilham Aliyev's administration, said the
Cheney visit started with a snub, as neither Aliyev nor Prime Minister
Artur Rasizade were at the airport to greet the US vice president, who
was the highest ranking American official ever to visit Azerbaijan.
Instead First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyubov and Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov greeted Cheney.
The visit apparently went down hill from there. Cheney publicly
expressed Washington's strong commitment to ensuring the continued
flow of energy westward from the Caspian Basin to Turkey along routes
not under the control of Russia. Privately, he pressed Aliyev to make
a firm commitment to sending Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe via the
long planned Nabucco pipeline. [For background see the Eurasia Insight
archive]. Aliyev politely declined to take Cheney up on the offer.
"Aliyev made it clear that he values [good] relations with Washington,
but that he is not about to start an argument with Russia," the
Kommersant report said, adding that Azerbaijani aides described Cheney
as becoming "extremely irritated" by Baku's decision to adopt a
"wait-and-see position."
Compounding Cheney's displeasure, immediately following the
discussions Aliyev reportedly telephoned Russian leader Dmitry
Medvedev to inform the Kremlin about the substance of the US energy
stance. Mammadyarov later departed for Moscow for further diplomatic
discussions.
In a fit of pique, Cheney skipped a reception held in Baku in his
honor, according to Azerbaijani sources.
Since Russia's incursion into Georgia, local political experts have
wondered about the geopolitical impact on Azerbaijan. The entire US
energy strategy in the Caspian Basin is predicated on Azerbaijan's
unwavering commitment to the West. The commitment now looks more
fragile than ever, and the Cheney visit may well have done more harm
than good, in terms of retaining Azerbaijan's allegiance to
Washington's energy agenda.