Experts: U.S strives to improve relations with Azerbaijan by reconsidering its foreign policy positions

"Azerbaijan can expect the U.S to make strong efforts to improve relations given the need for Azerbaijani support in the continuing 9-year-long war in Afghanistan possibly reaching its climax, as well as Azerbaijan's geostrategic location regarding oil and possible membership in NATO," U.S expert on South Caucasus, professor of political science at Tennessee Technological University, Michael Gunter, said.

Upon arriving to Baku on a visit, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates brought a letter from Barack Obama addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The head of the White House thanked Aliyev for supporting of the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, and expressed hope for expanding and intensifying of the Azerbaijani-U.S ties.

"The United States recognize the important contribution of Azerbaijan in ensuring regional and international security. I hope that we will be able to broaden and deepen our relations in the next months and years," the letter said.

Gates also spoke of the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's expected visit to Baku. The relations between the U.S. and Azerbaijan have significantly deteriorated after Washington insisted on opening of the Turkish-Armenian border without considering the interests of Azerbaijan. The U.S. Congress's provision of humanitarian assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh to the amount of $8 million added fuel to the fire.

A resolution on so-called "genocide" of Armenians in March 2010 adopted by the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs played another negative role in the deterioration of the complex relations between Washington and Baku.

Experts agree, that after the failure of the Armenian-Turkish process, lobbied by the United States, Washington has revised some foreign political positions. It is now trying to mend relations with Baku.

"The Obama letter, Biden and Clinton visits, and Bryza appointment are all part of the effort to improve U.S-Azeri relations, U.S expert on South Caucasus and Turkey," Professor of Government and Politics, Department of Public and International Affairs, Mark N. Katz, said.

Azerbaijani political analyst Tofig Abbasov said that the U.S. definitely deals with restoration of shaky relations with Azerbaijan. "It is a paradox that the U.S lost much from the suspended state bonds," he said.

"I would say that their positions rapidly weaken in the Eurasian space. In case of loss of Azerbaijan, Americans can lose not only a major transit link, but also a partner with a positive image, which functionally affects the geopolitical situation in the region," Abbasov told Trend.

It is too bad that Washington made attempts to rein Azerbaijan, although the country does not deserve such treatment, he added.

Improvement of relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia is connected with a gradual reconsideration of some of foreign political actions by the United States that were taken during Barack Obama's administration in the White House at first, former Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, deputy executive director of the Foundation "Russian world" Vasiliy Istratov said.

Istratov said that not all actions of the Obama administration were ready for enduring the test of time in long-term-prospect.

"Now, the Obama administration has to gradually re-from. The changes that occur in the relations of Azerbaijan and the U.S. are not associated with certain actions of Baku, but with Washington's position, in which a realistic interpretation of events prevailed," Istratov said.

"Many questions which the Obama administration wanted to solve by Cavalry raids on the international scene, are not solved yet. For this reason, they have to return to certain basic points. Time will tell how much one can derive benefit for the South Caucasus region," - he said.

Experts say, that Azerbaijan began to play a large role for the U.S. and because of deteriorating relations between Ankara and Washington. Mark Katz believes, that "just as importantly, with the deterioration in Turkish-American relations that has occurred, improving U.S-Azeri relations now appears to be both more urgent and more achievable than improving U.S-Turkish relations.

Abbasov said that the U.S. really are in a position to influence the improvement of the situation in the Caucasus region by pressing on Armenia for it to cease speculating by the myth of "genocide" and return to its former pre-war borders.

"Washington has all the tools and capabilities that include parallelization of efforts with Russia, France and other countries," he said.

He said that such a development will benefit not only Azerbaijan, but also the mediating countries, as recovery of the great powers' image lies through healthy and mediation.

According to the experts' opinion, improvement degree of relations between the U.S. and Azerbaijan depends on many factors. Mark Katz said that whether the U.S effort to improve relations with Azerbaijan will succeed, very much depends on whether the leadership in both countries want it to succeed enough to work at it.

"It is possible that the U.S-Azeri relationship will now improve, but this is not inevitable," he said.


/Trend/