Azerbaijan is important political ally for U.S in region: U.S senator

"Turkey-Armenia normalization consultations brought out the importance of cooperation in the region," Lugar said, speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington.

The protocol on resumption of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan is planned to be signed on October 10, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told media earlier.

Lugar said every country in the South Caucasus region is important for U.S and Washington would like to see these countries in peace.

Senator especially noted Azerbaijan's importance in terms of energy and Geo-strategic factors.

He said that Azerbaijan still remains important ally in the U.S policy towards region.

Senator criticized "hasty" decision of Mr. Obama to abandon plans for defenses against long-range Iranian missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic in favor of a strategy aimed at short- and mid-range missiles.

According to Senator, even if the administration's change in missile defense policy represents a "technical improvement" over the previous plan, Iranian missiles never constituted the primary rationale for Polish and Czech decisions to buy into the Bush administration's plan.

Senator Lugar added that this decision will make Russia's point of view stronger at its "sphere of influence."

Senator said that U.S mediators resorted to the help of to the Czech Republic and Poland to place anti-missile defense shield to protect from Iranian nuclear threat.

"In response to rising domestic opposition, these governments expended considerable capital to keep talks moving forward," he added.

He noted among Washington's security plans in the region there was also the issue of energy security. Senator pointed out that Gazprom, a natural-gas company based in Moscow, has shut off supplies to NATO allies in the last few years.

"This July, we saw promising signs that a common strategy is achievable. I was invited to join the U.S Envoy for Energy Security Ambassador Richard Morningstar in signing of a landmark agreement in Ankara to move forward the Nabucco pipeline project.

"This agreement was a breakthrough that had only dim prospects one year ago."

The intergovernmental agreement on Nabucco gas pipeline project was signed in Ankara this summer. Heads of Turkish, Austrian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Romanian governments and chairman of European commission Jose Manuel Barroso signed the document.

Nabucco gas pipeline project worth ?7.9 billion envisages gas supply from the Caspian region to EU countries. Participants of the project are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE companies. Each of participants has equal share of 16.67 percent.

Construction of gas pipeline is planned to be launched in 2011, the first supplies - in 2014.  

/Trend News/