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AZERBAIJAN IN THE MIDDLE
WPS Agency, Russia
December 18, 2014 Thursday
by Gennadi Sysoyev
Source: Kommersant, No 230, December 18, 2014, p. 6
HOW OFFICIAL BAKU MANAGES TO REMAIN EQUIDISTANT FROM RUSSIA AND THE
WEST IN THEIR CONFRONTATION; An update on Azerbaijan. Its financial
independence enables Baku to promote a well-balanced foreign policy.
Deterioration of the confrontation between Russia and the West forces
other countries to choose sides. Azerbaijan is one of the few sovereign
states that retains everyone respect and remains equidistant from
both conflicting sides.
Official Baku itself calls its foreign policy "well-balanced".
Azerbaijan backed the UN resolution that condemned absorption of the
Crimea by Russia. It all but forced Russia to abandon the Gabala radar
installation located on its territory. Azerbaijan is active in gas
and oil pipeline projects that bypass Russia. On the other hand, this
country denies Kosovo official recognition. It will have nothing to do
with the Nabucco project despite the efforts of the Western community
to involve Azerbaijan in it. Baku refuses to participate in the EU's
Eastern Partnership program which Moscow views as openly anti-Russian.
Neither is Azerbaijan in a hurry to sign an agreement of association
with the European Union. Last but not the least, Azerbaijan adopted
NATO standards for its Armed Forces... but weapons for the army are
bought from Russia.
Faud Akhundov of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said,
"Russia has no foreign partners more comfortable and easy-going
than Azerbaijan. The Russians keep badgering us to consider and
join the Eurasian Economic Union or even CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization. What for? To maintain Armenia that occupies
Nagorno-Karabakh? Our relations with Russia are fine even without
membership in these structures."
"Our policy is neither pro-America nor Pro-Turkey. It is
pro-Azerbaijan," political scientist Mubariz Akhmedoglu said.
Practically all experts agree that it is financial independence that
enables official Baku to promote its well-balanced policy. The Oil
Trust is known to contain almost $37 billion, and the country's gold
and hard currency reserves are estimated at $15 billion. All of that
is a considerable safety cushion.
"Azerbaijan can afford to pay its debts, both state debts and private
ones, and still retain over $30 billion," to quote Jamal Pashayev of
Pasha Holding, one of Azerbaijan's largest private companies. "It
means that we will be able to proceed with our projects even with
oil prices being as low as they currently are."
[Translated from Russian]
Pashayev's words indicate that changes in official Baku's foreign
policy in the foreseeable future are unlikely.
WPS Agency, Russia
December 18, 2014 Thursday
by Gennadi Sysoyev
Source: Kommersant, No 230, December 18, 2014, p. 6
HOW OFFICIAL BAKU MANAGES TO REMAIN EQUIDISTANT FROM RUSSIA AND THE
WEST IN THEIR CONFRONTATION; An update on Azerbaijan. Its financial
independence enables Baku to promote a well-balanced foreign policy.
Deterioration of the confrontation between Russia and the West forces
other countries to choose sides. Azerbaijan is one of the few sovereign
states that retains everyone respect and remains equidistant from
both conflicting sides.
Official Baku itself calls its foreign policy "well-balanced".
Azerbaijan backed the UN resolution that condemned absorption of the
Crimea by Russia. It all but forced Russia to abandon the Gabala radar
installation located on its territory. Azerbaijan is active in gas
and oil pipeline projects that bypass Russia. On the other hand, this
country denies Kosovo official recognition. It will have nothing to do
with the Nabucco project despite the efforts of the Western community
to involve Azerbaijan in it. Baku refuses to participate in the EU's
Eastern Partnership program which Moscow views as openly anti-Russian.
Neither is Azerbaijan in a hurry to sign an agreement of association
with the European Union. Last but not the least, Azerbaijan adopted
NATO standards for its Armed Forces... but weapons for the army are
bought from Russia.
Faud Akhundov of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said,
"Russia has no foreign partners more comfortable and easy-going
than Azerbaijan. The Russians keep badgering us to consider and
join the Eurasian Economic Union or even CIS Collective Security
Treaty Organization. What for? To maintain Armenia that occupies
Nagorno-Karabakh? Our relations with Russia are fine even without
membership in these structures."
"Our policy is neither pro-America nor Pro-Turkey. It is
pro-Azerbaijan," political scientist Mubariz Akhmedoglu said.
Practically all experts agree that it is financial independence that
enables official Baku to promote its well-balanced policy. The Oil
Trust is known to contain almost $37 billion, and the country's gold
and hard currency reserves are estimated at $15 billion. All of that
is a considerable safety cushion.
"Azerbaijan can afford to pay its debts, both state debts and private
ones, and still retain over $30 billion," to quote Jamal Pashayev of
Pasha Holding, one of Azerbaijan's largest private companies. "It
means that we will be able to proceed with our projects even with
oil prices being as low as they currently are."
[Translated from Russian]
Pashayev's words indicate that changes in official Baku's foreign
policy in the foreseeable future are unlikely.