Tweet
TENSION IN US-AZERI TIES PROMPTS BAKU TO FLIRT WITH RUSSIA'S MILITARY PLANS
Ayna, Baku
26 Apr 07
Excerpt from Casur Sumarinli's report in Azerbaijani newspaper
Ayna on 26 April headlined "Baku teasing Washington?" and subheaded
"Azerbaijani authorities prepare to discuss Russia's initiative on
creating Casfor joint military unit in Caspian".
The Baku authorities are preparing to put on the agenda for discussion
Russia's proposal of setting up Casfor, a joint military unit in the
Caspian Sea. Ayna has received this intriguing report from diplomatic
sources in Russia.
According to the report, this position of Baku was communicated
to Moscow through diplomatic channels several days ago. Baku wants
Moscow to supply extensive information on why the Casfor military and
political alliance in the Caspian is necessary and what steps are to
be taken in this regard. Russian sources regard this as an indication
of Baku's wish to take part in this military unit.
"It is true that this message from Baku came as a surprise to Russian
diplomats. However, this only strengthens our opinion that Casfor
will finally be set up. The latest information regarding Casfor will
be sent to Baku by the end of May," the source in Moscow said. It is
also possible that a delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Xalaf
Xalafov will head for Moscow to study the issue closely.
Can the discussion of the issue at the same moment when there is
diplomatic tension between Azerbaijan and the USA be regarded as a
coincidence? It should be taken into consideration that the agenda
of the bilateral talks in Washington scheduled for 23-24 April
also included security issues in the Caspian. The 130-million-dollar
Caspian security programme was also on the agenda. However, Baku cited
pro-Armenian corrections to the US State Department [human rights]
report and postponed the visit of the delegation to Washington.
Independent experts believe that if warm relations between Baku and
Moscow are observed soon, it will mean that cooperation with Moscow
has become an important part of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. If this
is the case, reports about the renewed interest on part of Azerbaijan
to Casfor allow for drawing certain conclusions.
In the summer 2006 we reported that there was an unofficial surge of
military and political tension between Baku and Moscow over Casfor.
The reason was that Baku first accepted Moscow's Casfor proposal,
but then turned it down.
[Passage omitted: Russia first aired the idea of Casfor back in 2003]
Baku did not respond to the Casfor proposal. Some believe that this is
the reason the meeting [between foreign policy and defence ministry
officials of the Caspian littoral states] scheduled to take place
in Moscow in May [2006] did not take place. At first it was said
that Azerbaijan wants Casfor to be at the initial stage a formal
(small) organization and also does not want Casfor to infringe on
its sovereignty, security, political and military interests, or on
Baku's partnership relationships. Following that, Baku received
indirect hints from the USA, which wants to pursue its interests
in the Caspian Sea through the realization of the Caspian security
programme. After the situation concerning Iran's nuclear programme
emerged (Iran rushed to support the idea of Casfor), the possibility
of Russia transporting nuclear components to Iran via the Caspian
Sea and the fact that Azerbaijan began building radar stations on
the Caspian shore using financial and technical support of the USA
became major obstacles to implementing Casfor.
But it seems that the situation is different now. Experts believe that
if reports about Baku saying "Yes" to Casfor are true, then this is
in effect an anti-US move by Azerbaijan.
Ayna, Baku
26 Apr 07
Excerpt from Casur Sumarinli's report in Azerbaijani newspaper
Ayna on 26 April headlined "Baku teasing Washington?" and subheaded
"Azerbaijani authorities prepare to discuss Russia's initiative on
creating Casfor joint military unit in Caspian".
The Baku authorities are preparing to put on the agenda for discussion
Russia's proposal of setting up Casfor, a joint military unit in the
Caspian Sea. Ayna has received this intriguing report from diplomatic
sources in Russia.
According to the report, this position of Baku was communicated
to Moscow through diplomatic channels several days ago. Baku wants
Moscow to supply extensive information on why the Casfor military and
political alliance in the Caspian is necessary and what steps are to
be taken in this regard. Russian sources regard this as an indication
of Baku's wish to take part in this military unit.
"It is true that this message from Baku came as a surprise to Russian
diplomats. However, this only strengthens our opinion that Casfor
will finally be set up. The latest information regarding Casfor will
be sent to Baku by the end of May," the source in Moscow said. It is
also possible that a delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Xalaf
Xalafov will head for Moscow to study the issue closely.
Can the discussion of the issue at the same moment when there is
diplomatic tension between Azerbaijan and the USA be regarded as a
coincidence? It should be taken into consideration that the agenda
of the bilateral talks in Washington scheduled for 23-24 April
also included security issues in the Caspian. The 130-million-dollar
Caspian security programme was also on the agenda. However, Baku cited
pro-Armenian corrections to the US State Department [human rights]
report and postponed the visit of the delegation to Washington.
Independent experts believe that if warm relations between Baku and
Moscow are observed soon, it will mean that cooperation with Moscow
has become an important part of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. If this
is the case, reports about the renewed interest on part of Azerbaijan
to Casfor allow for drawing certain conclusions.
In the summer 2006 we reported that there was an unofficial surge of
military and political tension between Baku and Moscow over Casfor.
The reason was that Baku first accepted Moscow's Casfor proposal,
but then turned it down.
[Passage omitted: Russia first aired the idea of Casfor back in 2003]
Baku did not respond to the Casfor proposal. Some believe that this is
the reason the meeting [between foreign policy and defence ministry
officials of the Caspian littoral states] scheduled to take place
in Moscow in May [2006] did not take place. At first it was said
that Azerbaijan wants Casfor to be at the initial stage a formal
(small) organization and also does not want Casfor to infringe on
its sovereignty, security, political and military interests, or on
Baku's partnership relationships. Following that, Baku received
indirect hints from the USA, which wants to pursue its interests
in the Caspian Sea through the realization of the Caspian security
programme. After the situation concerning Iran's nuclear programme
emerged (Iran rushed to support the idea of Casfor), the possibility
of Russia transporting nuclear components to Iran via the Caspian
Sea and the fact that Azerbaijan began building radar stations on
the Caspian shore using financial and technical support of the USA
became major obstacles to implementing Casfor.
But it seems that the situation is different now. Experts believe that
if reports about Baku saying "Yes" to Casfor are true, then this is
in effect an anti-US move by Azerbaijan.