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'STRATEGIC CONFUSION' IN US POLICY ON SOUTH CAUCASUS
News.Az
Mon 09 April 2012 10:23 GMT | 11:23 Local Time
News.Az interviews Glen E. Howard, president of the Jamestown
Foundation.
You mentioned a problem between Azerbaijan and the US. How does this
problem affect bilateral ties?
I don't think they're affected. It's created the impression that
Azerbaijan is not very important to the United States and its policies
in the region. So the delay in putting an ambassador here is a problem,
because Azerbaijan doesn't view it very positively.
Azerbaijan hopes that it's resolved very quickly. It certainly signals
that the United States has some strategic confusion in its views on
the region.
How does the Jamestown Foundation view the Karabakh problem? Does
its position differ from official Washington's?
No, our position is that we have to talk about frozen conflicts and
the diplomatic activity, or lack of it, and that Russia has been
given the primary position of being the country that arms Armenia but
at the same time is the key negotiator with Azerbaijan. That doesn't
make sense. Our role is to keep reminding the West and policy makers
that you really need to have a balance in the negotiating process
and strong role for US leadership, that you just don't give it to
Russia and let Russia try to resolve the problem. There have been
six or seven meetings with Medvedev and there's been no result. So
the conflict is at an impasse. At the same time Russia is providing
weapons to Armenia and also to Azerbaijan. They are the negotiator
but also at the same time the key arms provider. That doesn't create
a very stable situation.
What do you think about the article in Foreign Policy journal about
Israeli strikes on Iran through Azerbaijan?
Well, there's a lot of rumours. That's why I said in my talk today
there's a rumour of war. Moscow is using this to position itself in the
South Caucasus. Right now this is just rumour. The United States has
encouraged Israel not to attack Iran. I believe that there is a lot
of pressure that this will not happen. When they start talking about
Israel and its role with Azerbaijan you have to say, komu vygodno,
to whose advantage is this statement? Which country to the north is
talking about the threat of an attack and moving forces to the south
through Georgia and Armenia? That's a question we have to ask, komu
vygodno these rumours.
News.Az
Mon 09 April 2012 10:23 GMT | 11:23 Local Time
News.Az interviews Glen E. Howard, president of the Jamestown
Foundation.
You mentioned a problem between Azerbaijan and the US. How does this
problem affect bilateral ties?
I don't think they're affected. It's created the impression that
Azerbaijan is not very important to the United States and its policies
in the region. So the delay in putting an ambassador here is a problem,
because Azerbaijan doesn't view it very positively.
Azerbaijan hopes that it's resolved very quickly. It certainly signals
that the United States has some strategic confusion in its views on
the region.
How does the Jamestown Foundation view the Karabakh problem? Does
its position differ from official Washington's?
No, our position is that we have to talk about frozen conflicts and
the diplomatic activity, or lack of it, and that Russia has been
given the primary position of being the country that arms Armenia but
at the same time is the key negotiator with Azerbaijan. That doesn't
make sense. Our role is to keep reminding the West and policy makers
that you really need to have a balance in the negotiating process
and strong role for US leadership, that you just don't give it to
Russia and let Russia try to resolve the problem. There have been
six or seven meetings with Medvedev and there's been no result. So
the conflict is at an impasse. At the same time Russia is providing
weapons to Armenia and also to Azerbaijan. They are the negotiator
but also at the same time the key arms provider. That doesn't create
a very stable situation.
What do you think about the article in Foreign Policy journal about
Israeli strikes on Iran through Azerbaijan?
Well, there's a lot of rumours. That's why I said in my talk today
there's a rumour of war. Moscow is using this to position itself in the
South Caucasus. Right now this is just rumour. The United States has
encouraged Israel not to attack Iran. I believe that there is a lot
of pressure that this will not happen. When they start talking about
Israel and its role with Azerbaijan you have to say, komu vygodno,
to whose advantage is this statement? Which country to the north is
talking about the threat of an attack and moving forces to the south
through Georgia and Armenia? That's a question we have to ask, komu
vygodno these rumours.