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Azerbaijan: Trying To Keep Washington And Tehran Happy

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  • Azerbaijan: Trying To Keep Washington And Tehran Happy

    AZERBAIJAN: TRYING TO KEEP WASHINGTON AND TEHRAN HAPPY
    Shahin Abbasov and Khadija Ismailova

    Eurasianet
    5/05/06

    Iran is dangling the prospect of greater cooperation on Caspian Sea
    energy issues in order to secure Azerbaijan's neutrality in the ongoing
    confrontation with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program.

    Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with his Azerbaijani
    counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in Baku on May 4, ahead of an Economic
    Cooperation Organization summit. According to the official IRNA news
    agency, Ahmadinejad expressed a desire to increase bilateral energy
    cooperation. Such a development could have profound regional economic
    and political ramifications, given that Iranian-Azerbaijani tension has
    served as a major obstacle to the development of Caspian Sea energy
    resources. In 2001 and 2002, Iran resorted to gunboat diplomacy to
    force Azerbaijani to halt development of the disputed Araz-Alov-Sharg
    offshore oilfields [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

    Ahmadinejad did not offer specific ideas concerning possible
    Azerbaijani-Iranian cooperation, although he expressed an interest in
    having Iran serve as an export conduit for Azerbaijani oil and gas,
    IRNA reported. The offer seemed clearly designed as an incentive for
    Azerbaijan to remain on the sidelines of the international crisis
    revolving around Iran's nuclear ambitions. [For background see the
    Eurasia Insight archive]. The US government, which is convinced Iran
    intends to develop atomic weapons, has openly contemplated using force
    to compel Iran to abandon its nuclear program. Iranian officials
    insist the program is designed solely for peaceful purposes. At a
    May 5 news conference in Baku, Ahmadinejad reiterated the Iranian
    government's intention to proceed with its nuclear program, while
    criticizing the United States. The Azeri-Press Information Agency
    quoted the Iranian leader as saying; "If nuclear weapons are bad,
    why do they [Americans] have them? If they are good, then why can't we
    [Iranians] possess them?"

    The Iranian nuclear issue figured prominently during Aliyev's visit
    to Washington in late April [For background see the Eurasia Insight
    archive]. Many political analysts in Baku believe US officials sought
    Azerbaijani support for possible efforts to thwart Iran's nuclear
    ambitions. Aliyev publicly ruled out any involvement in such an
    anti-Iranian coalition.

    During his Baku visit, Ahmadinejad emphasized the benefits of
    neutrality. IRNA reported Ahmadinejad as telling Aliyev that "national
    resolve on the part of the two nations to develop cooperation would
    neutralize the conspiracy of the enemy to sabotage Tehran-Baku
    relations."

    Aliyev was generally tight-lipped about his discussions with
    Ahmadinejad. The Azerbaijani president's press service told journalists
    only that Aliyev welcomed the Iranian proposal to explore closer
    energy ties, while stressing "the importance of historical links"
    between Azerbaijan and its southern neighbor. At an ECO-related news
    conference, Aliyev indicated that he backed a negotiated solution to
    the Iranian nuclear crisis. "All issues that are provoking concern
    should be resolved peacefully, in the spirit of talks, to maintain
    the fragile stability in our region" Aliyev said.

    The Aliyev administration's position is buttressed by widespread public
    opposition among Azerbaijanis to US policy toward Iran. "All recent
    surveys conducted in Azerbaijan show the raise of anti-American moods
    in Azerbaijani society," said Arif Yunusov, head of the Conflict
    Prevention Department at the Baku-based Institute for Peace and
    Democracy.

    The ECO summit -- bringing together representatives of 10 states
    in the Caspian Basin, as well as Central and South Asia -- examined
    several regional issues, including Caspian Basin energy exports, and
    the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Aliyev expressed hope that ECO could
    help break the existing stalemate in Karabakh peace talks. He also
    asserted that Kazakhstani participation in the BTC pipeline was not
    needed to fill the export route to capacity. Aliyev said Azerbaijan
    would export upwards of 50 million tons of oil via BTC by 2008,
    the APA news agency reported.

    Editor's Note: Shain Abbasov and Khadija Ismayilova are freelance
    journalists based in Baku
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