REMOVING SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN TO HAVE UNFAVORABLE INFLUENCE ON TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN

18:48 03/04/2015 >> MISCELLANEOUS

"Geopolitically, the success of Lausanne agreements may lead to
further rapprochement of Iran with the West and an increase of its
geopolitical role in the region. Moreover, the strengthening of the
geopolitical role of Iran may significantly undermine the geo-economic
importance of Azerbaijan," an article published on Azerbaijani media
outlet Haqqin.az reads.

With the global standoff between Russia and the West, Azerbaijan
was viewed as an alternative transit country for energy resources,
particularly, for exporting gas from Turkmenistan to Europe. However,
that was only in the format of realizing the project TAP. The global
players hurried to give up Azerbaijan's supply last year because of the
fantastical undertaking of constructing Nabucco. Everyone understood
that there was nothing to fill the pipe with, the article reads.

Still, now, as the article reads, Iran takes the floor with
inexhaustible oil and gas reserves and as a key transit country. Iran
disposes of the 10% of the reported global oil reserves and is the
second country in the world after Russia with its natural gas reserves
(15%).

The official representatives of Iran do not hide that they strive to
enter the European market of oil and gas, as in the olden days. Let's
remember that the deputy Minister of Oil in Iran, Ali Majedi, offered
to revive project of Nabucco pipeline during his European tour and
said that his country is ready to supply gas to Europe through it,
the publication reads.

"According to the project Nabucco, that pipeline will transfer around
31 billion cubic meters of gas. We repeat, Azerbaijani gas alone
cannot fill that pipe. The main problem is that the potential of
the Azerbaijani gas field Shah Deniz II is assessed no more than 8
billion cubic meters a year. That is why even if the Azerbaijani gas
eventually comes to be supplied via Nabucco, there will be a deficit
of 23 billion cubic meters a year," the authors stress.

It is also noted that the West quite materially reacted to the
possibility of the Iranian gas to join Nabucco.

"Some months earlier the same Ali Majedi reported sensational news:
'two invited European delegations' discussed the potential routes of
Iranian gas supply to Europe," the article reads.

The country that was the closest to sign an agreement on Nabucco,
Azerbaijan, has not got enough gas reserves to fill the pipeline, the
authors of the article write pointing to Iran's possible participation
in the project.

"If Washington removes energy sanctions on Iran after an ultimate
agreement is signed between Iran and the West, then quite a new
geopolitical and, alongside with it, geo-economic configuration
will emerge in the region. Connecting with Nabucco will be enough
for Iran to fully supply Europe with gas. With the removal of the
sanctions on Iran the economic power, and alongside with that,
Iran's political influence will grow year by year," the authors of
the article highlight.

In an interview to the Azerbaijani media outlet Minval.az, orientalist
Aida Gambar noted that Iran is working very actively in the Middle
East region, and its main purpose is to become the leading country
of the region.

"Iran is trying to carry out its ideological programme of creating a
very large and significant Shia union which will be able to influence
all the processes going on in the region," she said.

The orientalist also noted that with the crisis in Syria, which
affected very strongly the system of international relations, the
center of gravity goes to Iran which enjoys the support of foreign
large powers.

"There are many problems that the US foreign powers, EU leading
countries need to settle down with Iran. They have already been able
to solve and settle down quite a lot of problems, and it is obscure
if a framework agreement is signed, what the strengthening status
of Iran will be like, given the removal of some sanctions, how Iran
will fortify its positions due to that. It is an unfavorable moment
for Turkey and Azerbaijan," she said.

Anton Yevstratov, an expert on Iran, told Minval.az that Azerbaijan is
in a complicated situation completely backing US's all the anti-Iran
actions, actively provoking anti-Iran rhetoric inside the country
and often splashing it also into the international relations.

"Azerbaijan could not orient at the latest stage and fell off the
fairway of the US. The West seems to show signs of readiness to make
friends with IRI, yet Baku goes on 'waving its fists.' And today no
one supports Azerbaijan in that," the expert on Iran highlighted.

Related:

Economy of Azerbaijan: increase in external debt, reduction of
production and export of oil and gas

http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2015/04/03/iran-turkey-azerbaijan/