ACCORDING TO AZERBAIJAN, IN ALL WORLD TROUBLES FEELS THE "HAND OF ARMENIA"
Karine Ter-Sahakyan
PanARMENIAN.Net
17.02.2009 GMT+04:00
Baku fails to differentiate between criticism and foul language used
against Armenia.
No matter how hard Azerbaijan tries to assure that the world economic
crisis Â"hardly tells upon the countryÂ", in fact this as well as
other statements of Baku Agitation and Propaganda Department contradict
the reality. Hardly will oil and gas prices rise in the near future,
which means that the Aliyev clan cannot get their regular billion
manats. By the way, Baku counts exclusively on mantas, since it makes
greater impression.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Against the background of the slightly changing
Russian-Turkish and Armenian-Turkish relations, President of Azerbaijan
decided to just in case find an alternative for the delivery of the
Azerbaijani gas to Europe through Georgia. It is no secret that this
was the main aim of Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Athens. "Azerbaijan makes
every effort to strengthen the energy security of Europe and expects
to export gas to Europe through Georgia," declared Aliyev in Athens
on Monday. One could say this statement was a signal to Ankara: there
can be found an alternative to Turkey as a transit country . Let us
note that the statement was made on the background of circulating
anti-Turkish campaign in the Azeri press. Well, this campaign is
not yet fully anti-Turkish but if the impossible occurs and the
Armenian-Turkish border is opened, there would be more than enough
reasons for Baku to severely criticize her Â"brotherly partnerÂ". Baku
considers that if Erdogan can venture upon harsh declarations about
Israel, Baku can do the same with respect to Ankara.
However, the situation is not that simple. Ilham Aliyev knows the game
directive brilliantly well and lays special emphasis on the Â"European
energy securityÂ", which is under threat because of the Â"gas warÂ"
between Ukraine and Russia. There is no guarantee that the war will
not break out again, that is why gas exporting states are now trying
their best to draw the attention of Europe. Some of them succeed, some
of them fail, but both Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan fail to notice the
two central players of this game: Iran and Russia. If the US-Iranian
relations indeed improve (and we are gradually coming to it), Iran will
have an opportunity to profitably transport gas to Europe and, quite
obviously, at an acceptable price. The same is true about Russia. No
matter how critically Â"GazpromÂ" is treated now, it can afford to
purchase the Azerbaijani gas and sell it at a profitable price.
Nabucco awaits a similar fate. It is still a question whether the
Nabucco project will be carried out or not, but it can be said for
sure that it can never be put into effect without participation
of Iran and Turkey, while Azerbaijan is not a necessary component
in this issue. Lately Kaan Soyak, co-founder and co-chairman of
the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council, said "Nabucco
may well pass through Armenia", which caused a burst of anger in
Baku. The map shows Armenia is really a suitable transit country for
the Nabucco pipeline, only if the latter should not become a second
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan.
Supposedly, Aliyev’s foreign tours and statements are all closely
related to the Referendum due in March, the outcome of which is
quite predictable. Actually all that is done and spoken about in Baku
at least by officials or those Â"authorized to speakÂ", is exactly
directed to that. That is why no one is any longer surprised at the
tactless comments of the Press Secretary of the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry about the President of another country. All is fair in war,
but Baku fails to differentiate between criticism and foul language
used against Armenia. However, it is also useless to teach Baku lessons
of good conduct since offspring of nomads will never be able to learn
this lesson.
The interesting point is that in any occurrence which is directly or
marginally related to Azerbaijan, Baku begins to nervously search
an Â"Armenian spotÂ". Hardly can all this be stipulated in the
declarations signed by Ilham Aliyev and in the liability criteria
of joining the EC. As usual, Vafa Guluzade could not stay aloof. His
Â"oraclesÂ" may finally lead Azerbaijan into a dead end, from where
she can never crawl out again. After all, a deadlock is a deadlock.
"Azerbaijan has no other way-out but to preserve close ties with
the West. This is the guarantee of our security. Russia has made its
choice, she has chosen Armenia, and we must strengthen our western
orientation as counterbalance to the Armenian-Russian alliance. You
see, they join their air defense forces, their economies, thus leaving
us no alternative but join the western world," Guluzade said.
It is simply interesting to know what Baku Agitation and Propaganda
Department has prepared after the failed bluff of Â"Russia’s selling
Armenia military hardware with a total cost of USD800 millionÂ". Most
likely, the new Â"storyÂ" will refer to the new US Administration,
which is surely reconsidering its attitude towards Azerbaijan,
remembering the Â"badÂ" inheritance of ex-Vice President Dick Cheney
and, in all probability, that of very soon former Co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group Mathew Bryza. It is not out of place to remind that
for the 8 years of Bush’s rule as co-chairs for the OSCE Minsk Group
mainly representatives of oil lobbywere chosen. If Barack Obama and
Hilary Clinton in fact want to change their foreign policy they should
appoint a more independent a co-chair, in whose appointment Baku once
again would try to find the track of the Â"Armenian lobbyÂ".