Ariel Cohen: U.S must launch new strategic dialogue with Azerbaijan

The United States must begin a new strategic dialogue with Azerbaijan, evaluating its importance as a partner, the Foundation "Heritage" leading expert on Russia, Eurasia, and international energy policy, Ariel Cohen, said.

"The U.S. must begin a new strategic dialogue with Azerbaijan, raising this issue at a high level and restoring the confidence and support of pro-western orientation in policy in Baku," Cohen said in a speech at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies.

He said that Azerbaijan was among the first who supported the war with terrorism and has made a significant contribution to the U.S-led operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The countries helped to thwart attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baku.

However, it seems that the current U.S. policy shares Turkey and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh, isolates Azerbaijan in the region and puts pressure on Baku for the last to implicitly agree with this policy, Cohen said. He said that Azerbaijan has hinted that it may reconsider its alliance with the West by ceasing U.S-Azerbaijani joint military exercises.

"The United States must recognize the importance of the Caucasus, especially given the fact that this region is strategically located at the junction of the national interests of such powers as China, Russia, Iran and Turkey. The U.S. administration, according to clear reasons, focuses on Afghanistan Iraq, Iran and other priorities, but it does not worth disregarding Eurasia, located in the heart of the Eastern Hemisphere.

It goes without saying that the U.S. must accelerate the process of appointing an ambassador to Baku as far as possible, expert said. The lack of U.S high-level representative in Baku hampers the U.S ability to cooperate effectively. This is a very bad signal, he said.

The United States must play a more active role in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Cohen said. In his view, a possible solution to the conflict can improve welfare in the region and provide with a positive image of the United States.

"The U.S. administration must not accept or ignore the occupation and forcible change of borders, since it is a violation of international law and U.S. interests in the region", he said.

According to the expert, the Caucasus is also the key transit corridor for Caspian energy supplies to the West.

According to Cohen, secure access to these resources can create an alternative to the dominance of Russia in the European energy market, and projects such as the interconnector Azerbaijan - Georgia-Romania (AGRI) and "Nabucco" should get the necessary political support from the United States.

Azerbaijan is on the verge of discovery of Caspian energy resources for the Western Corridor and East-West corridor, and also plays an important role in the "global war against terrorism" waged by America: The Southern Caucasus has become a potential start area for U.S. military forces on the way to the Middle East and Afghanistan with airspace of Azerbaijan, which is open to "Operation Enduring Freedom", the expert believes.

According to him, the U.S. should also closely work with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia in the issue of development of democratic institutions, transparency, supremacy of law and good governance, as well as help them implement the necessary reforms to ensure a healthy investment climate and the free market.

"An independent, prosperous and dynamic Georgia, in particular, is a model for Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and the whole region," Cohen said.

Support of secular order should be one of the cornerstones of U.S. policy in the region, given the rise of Iranian and other extremist religious penetration into the Caucasus, he believes.

According to Cohen, finally, investment in professional and educational exchange programs must be another purpose of the policy. Such programs can help enlighten the future leaders who will follow the democracy, freedom of speech and other Western values and can play an important role in the positive transformation in the region, the expert says.

Cohen believes that in cooperation with its European partners the U.S. should work to develop the real way to NATO and the European Union for Georgia. Also the U.S. can use the Charter of the strategic partnership and the "Partnership for Peace' to expand the reformative activities and training programs with the Georgian military, just saying that it was not an alternative, but a temporary measure, prior to NATO membership, he says.


/Trend/