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'THE MAIN LINES OF AMERICAN POLICY IN CAUCASUS WILL CONTINUE'
News.Az
Tue 15 January 2013 10:04 GMT | 10:04 Local Time
News.Az interviews Ross Wilson, director of the Eurasia Centre at the
Atlantic Council and a former US ambassador to Azerbaijan and Turkey.
What should we expect from the renewed Obama's team policy in the
South Caucasus? Will this policy remain the same or there will be
some changes?
Nothing in the appointments the president has made suggest any
significant changes in US foreign policy, either generally or with
regard to the South Caucasus. My assumption is that the main lines of
American policy in Caucasus will continue - support for each of the
three countries, energy, resolution and management of the conflicts,
progress on democracy and human rights, and collaboration on external
issues (including, for example, Afghanistan) as circumstances permit.
There is an opinion that for the next couple of years Washington
will focus on getting its forces out of Afghanistan, but after that
the U.S. really won't have any strong interests in the Caucasus. How
would you comment on that?
The United States will continue to have strong interests in the
Caucasus that reflect the policy lines I have already mentioned. How
the United States acts on those interests is another matter. I am
concerned that Washington's attention to the Caucasus and Central
Asia will decrease, however, as the US and Coalition presence in
Afghanistan decreases. Some of my current work is aimed at countering
that, and it will be important also for regional leaders to work with
Washington and give it positive reasons for more engagement.
What kind of role may Turkey play in the Karabakh settlement while
Armenia rejects any Turkish mediatory?
Turkey's non-relationship with Armenia is an impediment to a more
effective Turkish role on Nagorno-Karabakh. Outsiders have to have
the support of all sides in order to be able to function as mediators.
That said, I hope that Turkey uses the influence that it has with
Armenia and perhaps more so with Azerbaijan to encourage a settlement
and maintain peace, as renewed conflict would run strongly counter
to the interests of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Do you believe in the military scenario of solving "Iranian problem"
this year? And what do you think about rumors in the American media
on Azerbaijan's support of Israeli strikes on Iran?
The president has to show results on the Iran issue. What that will
mean practically in 2013 is difficult to say. I believe he remains
committed to making diplomacy succeed, but success depends in part
on the Iranians, of course. As for rumors, I don't pay attention to
them and do not know what the reports you refer to are based upon.
From: Baghdasarian
News.Az
Tue 15 January 2013 10:04 GMT | 10:04 Local Time
News.Az interviews Ross Wilson, director of the Eurasia Centre at the
Atlantic Council and a former US ambassador to Azerbaijan and Turkey.
What should we expect from the renewed Obama's team policy in the
South Caucasus? Will this policy remain the same or there will be
some changes?
Nothing in the appointments the president has made suggest any
significant changes in US foreign policy, either generally or with
regard to the South Caucasus. My assumption is that the main lines of
American policy in Caucasus will continue - support for each of the
three countries, energy, resolution and management of the conflicts,
progress on democracy and human rights, and collaboration on external
issues (including, for example, Afghanistan) as circumstances permit.
There is an opinion that for the next couple of years Washington
will focus on getting its forces out of Afghanistan, but after that
the U.S. really won't have any strong interests in the Caucasus. How
would you comment on that?
The United States will continue to have strong interests in the
Caucasus that reflect the policy lines I have already mentioned. How
the United States acts on those interests is another matter. I am
concerned that Washington's attention to the Caucasus and Central
Asia will decrease, however, as the US and Coalition presence in
Afghanistan decreases. Some of my current work is aimed at countering
that, and it will be important also for regional leaders to work with
Washington and give it positive reasons for more engagement.
What kind of role may Turkey play in the Karabakh settlement while
Armenia rejects any Turkish mediatory?
Turkey's non-relationship with Armenia is an impediment to a more
effective Turkish role on Nagorno-Karabakh. Outsiders have to have
the support of all sides in order to be able to function as mediators.
That said, I hope that Turkey uses the influence that it has with
Armenia and perhaps more so with Azerbaijan to encourage a settlement
and maintain peace, as renewed conflict would run strongly counter
to the interests of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Do you believe in the military scenario of solving "Iranian problem"
this year? And what do you think about rumors in the American media
on Azerbaijan's support of Israeli strikes on Iran?
The president has to show results on the Iran issue. What that will
mean practically in 2013 is difficult to say. I believe he remains
committed to making diplomacy succeed, but success depends in part
on the Iranians, of course. As for rumors, I don't pay attention to
them and do not know what the reports you refer to are based upon.
From: Baghdasarian