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OIC, BSEC, GUAM: AZERBAIJAN ENTANGLED WITH FOREIGN-POLICY PARTNERS
Armen Gevorgyan
news.am
Nov 10 2009
Armenia
President Ilham Aliyev has actually boycotted the sitting of
the Standing Committee on Economic and Commercial Cooperation,
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), in Istanbul. Deputy Minister
of Economic Development Sevinj Gasanova is representing Azerbaijan,
which is unequivocal evidence of deeper political disagreements between
Baku and Ankara. The other OIC member-states are represented by the
Presidents and Prime Ministers.
What is more, Azerbaijani Vice-Premier Abid Sharifov attended a
reception at the Turkish Embassy in Baku on the occasion of Turkey's
Independence Day, while President Ilham Aliyev visited a Russian
village in one of the regions thereby trying to suggest a threat of
Baku's "geopolitical turn."
It is worth recalling Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statement
during his recent visit to Kuwait. The Armenian leader stated that
Azerbaijan is manipulating the OIC member-states, trying to cash in on
religious solidarity. "A lack of awareness of the Artsakh problem,
Azerbaijan's impermissible attempts to cash in on the factor of
religious solidarity often result in wrong decisions made by the
Organization of Islamic Conference," the Armenian leader stated at
his meeting with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah.
In this respect, the Azeri leaders not participating in the Istanbul
sitting meets Armenia's interests. The participants themselves will
be able to understand the policy of Azerbaijan, which is trying to
reap dividends from the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process irrespective of
the international agencies' aims. It is common knowledge that even the
projects implemented by the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
(BSEC), which aims at creating conditions for the region's economic
and communication integration, encounter obstacles set by Azerbaijan.
President Aliyev's visit to the Russian village is a "touching" signal
for Moscow: "if our Turkish brothers are befooling us, we are ready
to befool them in a team with Russians." Aliyev has made initial
steps by signing a contract for the supply is a symbolic amount of
gas to Russia with Gasprom. The Azeri leader must have thought that
his step would help him to gain Moscow's favor to an extent that it
would revise its position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its
relations with Armenia. We see, however, that Russia is among the
key lobbyists for the unblocking of the Armenian-Russian border,
as it is in Armenia, rather than in Azerbaijan, that Russia has its
only military base in the region, which is actually blocked as well.
Russia has actually created a powerful energy basis in Armenia and is
preparing for exporting energy to Turkey. Russia is getting ready to
open a window on Iran in Armenia. And, finally, Russia will participate
in a nuclear-power plant construction project in Armenia.
The "anti-Russian" Transcaspian gas pipeline, which has not so far
been constructed, may well run southward, to Armenia through Iran,
and will thus serve the interests of Armenia and Russia - and,
incidentally, of Turkey.
So President Ilham Aliyev can be advised to visit a Georgian village
when the OIC holds its next meeting. Azerbaijan, with its limited gas
reserves and lack of direct communication with Central Asia, appears
to be of interest to Georgia alone. We would like to warn the Azeri
leader against visiting Kvemo Kartli, which is part of the Georgian
territory. Azerbaijan is known to respect that country's territorial
integrity, Georgia being Azerbaijan's partner within GUAM.
Armen Gevorgyan
news.am
Nov 10 2009
Armenia
President Ilham Aliyev has actually boycotted the sitting of
the Standing Committee on Economic and Commercial Cooperation,
Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), in Istanbul. Deputy Minister
of Economic Development Sevinj Gasanova is representing Azerbaijan,
which is unequivocal evidence of deeper political disagreements between
Baku and Ankara. The other OIC member-states are represented by the
Presidents and Prime Ministers.
What is more, Azerbaijani Vice-Premier Abid Sharifov attended a
reception at the Turkish Embassy in Baku on the occasion of Turkey's
Independence Day, while President Ilham Aliyev visited a Russian
village in one of the regions thereby trying to suggest a threat of
Baku's "geopolitical turn."
It is worth recalling Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's statement
during his recent visit to Kuwait. The Armenian leader stated that
Azerbaijan is manipulating the OIC member-states, trying to cash in on
religious solidarity. "A lack of awareness of the Artsakh problem,
Azerbaijan's impermissible attempts to cash in on the factor of
religious solidarity often result in wrong decisions made by the
Organization of Islamic Conference," the Armenian leader stated at
his meeting with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah.
In this respect, the Azeri leaders not participating in the Istanbul
sitting meets Armenia's interests. The participants themselves will
be able to understand the policy of Azerbaijan, which is trying to
reap dividends from the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process irrespective of
the international agencies' aims. It is common knowledge that even the
projects implemented by the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
(BSEC), which aims at creating conditions for the region's economic
and communication integration, encounter obstacles set by Azerbaijan.
President Aliyev's visit to the Russian village is a "touching" signal
for Moscow: "if our Turkish brothers are befooling us, we are ready
to befool them in a team with Russians." Aliyev has made initial
steps by signing a contract for the supply is a symbolic amount of
gas to Russia with Gasprom. The Azeri leader must have thought that
his step would help him to gain Moscow's favor to an extent that it
would revise its position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its
relations with Armenia. We see, however, that Russia is among the
key lobbyists for the unblocking of the Armenian-Russian border,
as it is in Armenia, rather than in Azerbaijan, that Russia has its
only military base in the region, which is actually blocked as well.
Russia has actually created a powerful energy basis in Armenia and is
preparing for exporting energy to Turkey. Russia is getting ready to
open a window on Iran in Armenia. And, finally, Russia will participate
in a nuclear-power plant construction project in Armenia.
The "anti-Russian" Transcaspian gas pipeline, which has not so far
been constructed, may well run southward, to Armenia through Iran,
and will thus serve the interests of Armenia and Russia - and,
incidentally, of Turkey.
So President Ilham Aliyev can be advised to visit a Georgian village
when the OIC holds its next meeting. Azerbaijan, with its limited gas
reserves and lack of direct communication with Central Asia, appears
to be of interest to Georgia alone. We would like to warn the Azeri
leader against visiting Kvemo Kartli, which is part of the Georgian
territory. Azerbaijan is known to respect that country's territorial
integrity, Georgia being Azerbaijan's partner within GUAM.