ARMENIAN SPEAKER AT ODDS WITH GOVERNMENT OVER NATO MEMBERSHIP
Emil Danielyan 5/05/06
EurasiaNet, NY
May 5 2006
The ambitious speaker of Armenia’s parliament, Artur Baghdasarian,
has stoked geopolitical controversy in Yerevan by calling for the
country’s eventual withdrawal from the Russian-dominated Collective
Security Treaty Organization and, ultimately, its accession to NATO.
The extraordinary statements, which run counter to one of the main
tenets of Armenian foreign policy, prompted a stern rebuke from
President Robert Kocharian and his close political allies.
Baghdasarian responded by threatening to pull his Orinats Yerkir
(Country of Law) party out of Kocharian’s governing coalition.
The row is widely linked to the parliamentary and presidential
elections scheduled for 2007 and 2008. Some local observers believe
Baghdasarian is courting Western support to bolster his reputed
presidential ambitions. The controversy also provides additional
evidence that the geopolitical mood in Armenia — a country
traditionally oriented toward Russia – is slowly shifting.
The controversy began April 19, when Baghdasarian’s comments were
published by one of Germany’s most prominent daily newspapers, the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “Armenia’s future is the European
Union and NATO,” Baghdasarian said, adding that Russia “must not
stand in our way to Europe.”
Kocharian distanced himself from these remarks, saying they do not
reflect his administration’s policy. “Armenia is not planning to join
NATO,” the Golos Armenii newspaper quoted him as saying in late
April. He also reportedly demanded an “explanation” from
Baghdasarian. The criticism was echoed by the leaders of the two
other parties represented in Kocharian’s cabinet. Baghdasarian’s
comments appear to have also raised eyebrows in Moscow. Senior
Russian lawmakers reportedly raised the matter with Baghdasarian
during a meeting of a Russian-Armenian commission on
inter-parliamentary cooperation that took place in Saint Petersburg
in late April.
However, the 37-year-old speaker struck a defiant note during a
parliament session in Yerevan on May 2, asserting that NATO
membership was essential for Armenia’s “European integration.” “I see
Armenia’s future in the European Union, rather than the
Russia-Belarus union,” he said. Baghdasarian downplayed his
differences with the Armenian government’s position, but warned that
if they are deemed “serious” by Kocharian, Orinats Yerkir will not
hesitate to quit the governing coalition.
The pro-presidential coalition – comprising Orinats Yerkir, the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) and Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian’s Republican Party of Armenia — has been beset by
infighting ever since the signing nearly three years ago of a
power-sharing agreement. The squabbles have, until now, centered
solely on domestic issues. But the Yerevan daily Aravot quoted on May
3 ARF leader Vahan Hovannisian as suggesting that the latest row has
exposed “disagreements of a strategic character” within the
pro-Kocharian camp.
Those disagreements may well deepen in advance of next year’s
Armenian parliamentary election. Baghdasarian effectively kicked off
his party’s election campaign in April when he publicly criticized
the Armenian government’s controversial privatization policies,
scoring points with the disgruntled electorate. Such opposition-style
tactic already helped Orinats Yerkir form the second largest faction
in parliament on the basis of the results of the May 2003 election.
The party, which now claims to be the largest in Armenia, was not
implicated in reports of serious irregularities that marred that
vote. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
The Orinats Yerkir leader, who is often criticized for employing
populist tactics, is also seen as one of Kocharian’s potential
successors. The incumbent’s second and final term in office expires
in 2008. Observers say Western support would only increase
Baghdasarian’s chances of making a strong run in the next
presidential ballot.
Western policy-makers and analysts seem to be showing growing
interest in Baghdasarian, underscored by the decision by a major
European newspaper to run an extensive interview with him.
Baghdasarian’s comparative youth and stated commitment to democratic
reforms have already earned him comparisons to the revolutionary
leaders of Georgia and Ukraine, Mikheil Saakashvili and Viktor
Yushchenko respectively. Baghdasarian helped foster such an image by
traveling to Kyiv last December to deliver a passionate pro-democracy
speech during the first-anniversary celebrations of Ukraine’s Orange
Revolution. His calls for Armenian membership in NATO may thus
further boost his stock in the United States and Europe.
Those calls also reflect an ongoing broader change in the foreign
policy orientation of Armenia’s political elite, a process that seems
to have accelerated amid Yerevan’s recent gas dispute with Moscow,
and its controversial settlement. [For background see the Eurasia
Insight archive]. The idea of joining NATO, unthinkable in the past,
is increasingly embraced by the country’s mainstream opposition
groups. Some opposition leaders defended the speaker against the
recent political attacks stemming from his NATO remarks.
Even as Kocharian insists that Armenia’s military alliance with
Moscow remains the bedrock of Yerevan’s national security doctrine,
Armenian authorities are enhancing security cooperation with NATO and
the United States in particular. Armenia’s participation in the
US-led alliance’s Partnership for Peace program is currently being
significantly upgraded in accordance an “individual partnership
action plan,” or IPAP, launched last December. The IPAP calls for
sweeping political and military reforms in order to boost civilian
control over the military, as well as to promote the armed forces’
“interoperability” with the armies of NATO member states. The
Armenian military is already involved in the NATO-led peacekeeping
operation in Kosovo, and has small contingent of non-combat troops in
Iraq.
As part of the IPAP, Yerevan also undertook to draft and publicize
its “defense doctrine” as well as a broader “national security
strategy.” An ad hoc government commission headed by Armenian Defense
Minister Serge Sarkisian is working on the two documents. “We are
working hard together to help Armenia to realize its desire to have
stronger relations with the Euro-Atlantic family,” US Deputy
Assistant Secretary Matthew Bryza said during a March visit to
Yerevan. “We are pleased with the considerable progress made in this
regard over the past year.”
According to a senior NATO official, who visited the Armenian capital
recently, the IPAP is “not incompatible” with Armenia’s membership in
the Collective Security Treaty Organization, as it falls one step
short of accession talks with the alliance. “It is up to Armenia to
decide whether it wants to go further,” the official said.
Editor’s Note: Emil Danielyan is a Yerevan-based journalist and
political analyst.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Airbus burns down in Belgium
Independent Online, South Africa
May 5 2006
May 05 2006 at 07:30PM — Perevan – An Airbus A320 plane belonging to
Armenian air company Armavia and identical to its airliner which
crashed two days ago, burned down overnight in Belgium during
maintenance works, an Armenian official said on Friday.
The plane, made in 1996, was being serviced by Sabena Technics,
said Armenian civil aviation spokesperson Gayane Davtyan, giving no
further details.
Sabena Technics’ facilities are located at Brussels National Airport
where it serves the aviation industry at large, the independent
aviation maintenance firm said on its Website
Company officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Another Armavia Airbus A320 crashed into the Black Sea off the Russian
coast on Wednesday, killing all 113 passengers and crew on board as
it tried to land in torrential rain.

Russia, Armenia mourn for victims of Armenian jet crash
Xinhua, China
May 5 2006
MOSCOW, May 5 (Xinhua) — Russia and Armenia mourned for the victims
of the Airbus A-320 Armenian jet crash on Friday, the Itar-Tass news
agency reported.
The tricolor national flags of Russia and Armenia were hoisted
half-mast on the buildings of the state institutions of both countries.
The Russian tricolor, raised for the first time next to the Kremlin,
at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Alexandrovsky Garden, was also
elevated half-mast. The mourning will not interfere with the planned
solemn functions, timed for Victory Dayon Tuesday.
The Airbus A-320 of the Armenian airline belonging to the air company
Armavia crashed into the Black Sea near the southern Russian resort
town of Sochi at around 2:15 a.m. local time (2215 GMT Tuesday),
killing all the 113 people on board, including six children and eight
crew. The remnants sank to a depth more than six hundred meters below
the sea surface.
The national flags of the Russian Federation were hoisted half-mast
in Sochi, too. All the culture institutions and TV companies of the
city have canceled their entertainment programs. The same was done
in the entire Krasnodar Territory of the south Russia region.
A steamship carrying relatives and near ones of the crash victims
will lower wreaths onto the surface of the sea at the place, where
the tragedy occurred.
According to the latest reports, 53 bodies of the crash victims
were found in the sea on Thursday. Thirty-seven of them were
identified. Twenty-six identified bodies were flown from Adler to
Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan late Thursday night.
According to a list of passengers submitted to the Russian Ministry
for Emergency Situations, all the passengers were of Armenian descent,
but 26 of them were citizens of the Russian Federation.
Former Armenian Interior minister and KGB — the state security
committee– chairman Major-General Usik Arutyunyan was among the
victims killed in the plane crash.
On decision of Sochi Mayor Viktor Kolodyazhny, the Municipal Council
will pay 500,000 roubles (18,000 U.S. dollars) to each family of
the crash victims, which will get a compensation worth 20,000 U.S.
dollars from insurance company too.
“The city will not forget their children, too. We shall help them
get an education, including higher school professions,” Kolodyazhny
stressed. Enditem

Flight International
May 5 2006
Pictures: Probe begins into Sabena Technics hangar fire
By Kerry Ezard in London
Sabena Technics believes the fire that burned down one of its
maintenance hangars at Brussels airport, destroying four aircraft,
will have only a minor effect on its operations as investigations
begin into the cause of the blaze.
The hangar was completely destroyed in the fire, which buckled the
roof and structure (pictured below).
© Kenny Vinckbooms
The company says the it is “rescheduling its maintenance tasks to
ensure continuity” and is relocating heavy maintenance activities to
its other hangars.
The spokeswoman confirms that the fire, which broke out at 00:00 last
night, destroyed three Airbus A320s. One A320 was operated by Armenian
carrier Armavia, another by compatriots Armenian International Airways
and a third by Greek charter operator Hellas Jet. A Belgian armed
forces Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules was also lost.
The company is not disclosing the registration numbers of the aircraft
involved, but a spokesman for Hellas Jet confirms that one of its
A320s, a three-year old jet registered SX-BVB and leased from CIT
Group, is among the aircraft destroyed in the blaze.
Armenian International Airways has a single A320, a 13-year old
example registered EK-32001, which has recently been operated on
behalf of Tunisian carrier Tuninter and Air Arabia.
The Armavia A320 involved is reported to be a ten-year old model,
bearing registration EK-32010. The fire comes just days after the
carrier lost an A320 in the Black Sea, killing 113 on board, as the
jet attempted to land at Sochi Airport in Russia.
Belgian armed forces air command operates eleven Hercules,
registrations running sequencially from CH-10 to CH-12. It is not
yet known which C-130 was destroyed.
Sabena Technics says there is no indication as to what caused the
fire, adding that an investigation is continuing and that a clearer
picture should emerge “in a matter of days”.
05/05/Navigation/177/206437/Pictures+Probe+begins+ into+Sabena+Technics+hangar+fire.html
–Boundary_ (ID_ZfZilNnXJgITqkV15koDIQ)–

Two Armenian A-320 burn down at Brussels international airport
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 5 2006
YEREVAN, May 5 (Itar-Tass) — Two A-320 jets of the Armenian airline
Armavia burned down in a hangar of Brussels international airport
Zaventem, airline deputy commercial director Andrei Agadzhanov told
Itar-Tass on Friday.
He said the plane was receiving technical maintenance by Sabena
Technics.
According to the preliminary information, the jet cannot be restored,
Agadzhanov said.
Now that the airline lost another A-320 in a Sochi air crash on May 3,
it has two Airbus jets, Yak-42 and Il-86.
Armavia was established in 1996 and made its first flight in 2001. In
2004 the airline had four A-320 planes. It was the regional leader
by the number of operated western-made aircraft.
The fire has been put down. No one is dead, but four technicians were
injured. One of them is in hospital.
There is still smoke in the airport building, and a number of flights
have been delayed. Experts say that the smoke is not toxic.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
May 5 2006
PREMIER OF AZERBAIJAN ARTUR RASIZADE MEETS WITH LITHUANIAN LEADERS
[May 05, 2006, 20:24:29]
Visiting Vilnius the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade has
met with the President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, May 5.
The head of the Lithuanian state has thanked the Prime Minister of
Azerbaijan for participation in work of the Vilnius summit of heads
of the state and government of the Baltic and Black Sea, discussions
on which will introduce the positive moments in development of
democratic processes on Southern Caucasus. As Valdas Adamkus has
noted, Lithuania is interested in development of cooperation with
Azerbaijan in all areas. He has expressed hope for a fast meeting
with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan has told about social and economic
reforms, the global transport and power projects that are carried out
in Azerbaijan, about fast delivery in operation of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. The head of Azerbaijan Government has
noted also dynamics of development of the non-oil sector of
Azerbaijan. The President of Lithuania was given detailed information
and on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The same day, Mr. Rasizade met with the vice-speaker of Lithuanian
Seym Cheslavas Yurshenas. Lithuania is going to expand the ties with
Azerbaijan, as a country-leader in South Caucasian region. Also was
underlined the necessity of development of inter-parliamentary
cooperation, with this purpose, it is planned to open representation
of the Lithuanian Seym.
The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan has met also with the head of the
Lithuanian government Algirdas Brazauskas who has presented Artur
Rasizade the information on process of admission of Lithuania to the
European Union, about the measures undertaken in this connection.
During the meeting, took place exchange of views concerning expansion
of the Lithuanian-Azeri economic cooperation.
On May 5, the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan met with representatives
of business circles of Lithuania. Speaking at the meeting, the
general director of the Confederation of Industrialists of Lithuania
Rimas Varkulyavichus has noted low level of existing links of
commodity circulation between Azerbaijan and Lithuania. The
Lithuanian businessmen show interest to investment in agriculture,
processing industry and other spheres of economy of Azerbaijan, to
adjustment of direct contacts with the Azerbaijani entrepreneurs.
Prime Minister of Azerbaijan has told to participants of meeting
about the level of GDP in Azerbaijan economy growing from year to
year, developing non-oil sector.
On May 5, the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan has left for home. At the
international airport of Vilnius Artur Rasizade was seen off by
members of the Lithuanian government.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reuters, UK
May 5 2006
Armenian airline loses second Airbus in 2 days
05 May 2006 15:12:13 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds Armavia spokeswoman, television footage throughout)
YEREVAN, May 5 (Reuters) – An Airbus A320 plane belonging to Armenian
air company Armavia and identical to its airliner which crashed two
days ago, burned down overnight in Belgium during maintenance works,
an Armenian official said on Friday.
The plane, made in 1996, was being serviced by Sabena Technics, said
Armenian civil aviation spokeswoman Gayane Davtyan, giving no further
details.
“This was a reserve airliner. We hope this accident will not wreck
our overall flight schedule, and we will try and make up for the
losses,” said Armavia press secretary Zhasmin Vilyan.
Russia’s ORT First Channel television ran video footage of a
smouldering plane body and an engine painted in Armavia’s hallmark
white and orange colours. It said four local workers had been injured
in the accident.
Sabena Technics’ facilities are located at Brussels National Airport
where it serves the aviation industry at large, the independent
aviation maintenance firm said on its Web site
Company officials could not be immediately
reached for comment.
Another Armavia Airbus A320 crashed into the Black Sea off the
Russian coast on Wednesday, killing all 113 passengers and crew on
board as it tried to land in torrential rain.
Armavia’s Vilyan said the two planes had been insured but declined to
give any further details.
Before this week’s accidents, Armavia’s fleet had counted five Airbus
airliners and two Soviet-made Yakovlev Yak-42 planes.

Fire destroys Armavia plane days after deadly crash
Published: 5/5/2006
Turkish Press
May 5 2006
BRUSSELS – A fire in a Brussels airport hangar destroyed an Armavia
Airbus A320 identical to one which recently crashed into the Black Sea
killing everyone aboard, the company using the hangar said on Friday.
The blaze, spotted in the building at around midnight (0200 GMT)
and brought under control about two hours later, gutted the Armavia
plane and three others, said Christophe Bernardini, head of the Sabena
Technics maintenance company.
Bernardini, whose firm maintains Armavia’s Airbus planes including
the one that crashed, said the Armenian company had lost two of its
five Airbus in less than a week.
His announcement came as mourners gathered off the Russian resort of
Sochi at the spot where the Armenian jet plunged into the waters early
on Wednesday, killing all 113 people on board, in a crash apparently
caused by bad weather.
In Armenia, a spokesperson for the civial aviation authority confirmed
to AFP that the plane had been destroyed in Brussels.
“An A320 from the company Armavia, which was undergoing maintenance
checks with the Sabena Technics firm in Brussels, was burnt,” the
spokesperson said.
Meanwhile Armenian Defence Minister Serge Sargsian played down
suggestions that the fire was connected with the recent accident or
was lit deliberately.
“I can’t see any link between these two events and I don’t think
someone did it on purpose,” he said during a brief press conference
at Yerevan airport.
Flights were disrupted at Brussels airport Friday morning due to
smoke still rising from the hangar, situated some distance from the
airport’s passenger terminals and runways.
The cause of the fire has not been established.

BÝA, Turkey
May 5 2006
Trials Continue Under Article 301
Dink, editor of an Armenian language newspaper, “Agos”, was found
guilty of insulting Turkishness. Zarakolu is accused under Article
301 for publishing Jerjian’s and Sakayan’s books on Armenian issue.
Belge’s case will continue on 8 June.
WiPC/IFEX
05/05/2006
BÝA (London) – On 3 May 2006, World Press Freedom Day, in Turkey
trials continue against writers, journalists and publishers who have
been charged with “denigration of Turkishness” under Article 301 of
the Turkish Penal Code.
International PEN is calling for an end to all trials against writers
for the peaceful expression of their views, and for the repeal of
Article 301 that is in direct contravention of international
standards that guarantee the right to freedom of expression.
On 1 May, Hrant Dink, editor of an Armenian language newspaper,
“Agos”, who was found guilty of insulting Turkishness and given a
six-month suspended prison term in October 2005, had his appeal
against his conviction overturned.
Dink had been accused for an article in his newspaper on the
relations between Armenians and Turks, which included a phrase that
the court said, suggested that Turkish blood was “dirty”. Dink has
repeatedly stated that his article had been misconstrued and that his
aim is to improve relations between Armenians and Turks.
Dink launched an appeal against his sentence and, in February, the
Chief Prosecutor told the Appeals Court that the phrase under
scrutiny could not be considered insulting. In light of this, the
Court’s decision to uphold the case is particularly surprising.
Ten days earlier, on 20 April, another of a series of trial hearings
took place against publisher Ragip Zarakolu. He is accused under
Article 301 for publishing two books.
The first, George Jerjian’s “The Truth Will Set us Free
/Turkish-Armenian Re-Conciliation”, refers to the mass deportations
of Armenians in 1915. If convicted, Zarakolu faces up to 7.5 years in
prison. For the second book, Dora Sakayan’s “An Armenian Doctor in
Turkey: Garabed Hatcherian’s Izmir Journal”, Zarakolu could receive a
six year sentence. Although the trials have already dragged on for
over a year, the hearings were adjourned further to 21 June 2006.
There was disappointment for Murat Belge, a columnist for “Radikal”
who was among five mainstream journalists who went on trial in
February 2006 for “attempting to influence the outcome of a trial” in
articles that criticized a court’s decision to ban an academic
conference on Armenia in November 2005.
The conference eventually took place. Belge’s colleagues had the
charges against them dropped on 11 April, when it was deemed that the
trial was subject to a statute of limitation due to the length of
time between the alleged offence and the charges.
However, in Belge’s case it was deemed that the statue of limitation
did not apply and his case will continue on 8 June. On 28 April the
Bagiclar prosecutor’s office issued an appeal against the decision to
discontinue the trial against Belge’s four co-defendants, and there
is a possibility that the proceedings against them may restart.
These are just some of the more well known of the writers,
journalists and publishers who are on trial in Turkey today for their
writings. International PEN has long campaigned – and will continue
to campaign – against the use of the courts to stifle freedom of
expression in Turkey.
It calls on the Turkish government to once again review its
legislation with the aim of removing all remaining laws that allow
for the prosecution of those who practice their right to write and
publish freely.
By so doing, the Turkish government can stand by its commitment to
the right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article 10 of
the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 19 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (YE)
Recommended action :
Send appeals to authorities:
– protesting the upholding of the sentence against Hrant Dink
– protesting the lengthy and convoluted trials against Ragip Zarakolu
and Murat Belge
– expressing dismay that writers, journalists and publishers continue
to be brought before the courts in violation of their right to
freedom of expression
– urging that there be an end to these trials
– asking the government to review its legislation with the aim of
removing all remaining laws that allow for the prosecution of those
who practice their right to write and publish freely
– calling on the government to do all that it can to abide by its
commitments to the protection and promotion of freedom of expression
Appeals to :
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 417 0476
Mr Abdullah Gul
Foreign Minister and State Minister for Human Rights
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara, Turkey
Fax: +90 312 287 8811
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact Sara Whyatt at the WiPC (Writers in
Prison Committee) , International PEN, Brownlow House, 50/51 High
Holborn, London, WC1V 6ER, U.K., tel: +44 207 405 0338, fax: +44 207
405 0339, e-mail: [email protected], Internet:
http ://
— Boundary_(ID_eCuWUgnvQ+ROu0m2RTUu4g)–

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
May 5 2006
DESPITE INITIAL PROTEST, OPPOSITION LEADERS CHANGE TONE AFTER
ALIYEV’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON
By Fariz Ismailzade
Friday, May 5, 2006
Opposition parties in Azerbaijan were not happy with President Ilham
Aliyev’s invitation to visit the United States and were even hostile
about the warm welcome he received from the White House. Referring to
the contested presidential election in 2003, opposition parties
criticized U.S. President George W. Bush for betraying his “freedom
agenda” and cooperating with a foreign authoritarian leader. Some
politicians even described Aliyev’s invitation from Washington as the
final humiliation for the domestic opposition. They predicted that
the visit would turn the opposition away from Western liberal values.
Surprisingly, the domestic opposition’s initially chilly reaction
toward the president’s visit has begun to thaw and refocus. Some
senior opposition activists are trying to sugarcoat the “damage” done
to the Azerbaijani opposition’s attitude toward the U.S. government
and downplay the initial criticism of the Bush administration.
Speaking to the opposition daily Yeni Musavat on May 3, Hikmet
Hajizadeh, a member of the Supreme Council of the leading opposition
party Musavat, observed, “America is busy now with the third World
War [i.e. the War on Terrorism] and just like the Second World War
brought freedom to many nations, this one can also bring freedom to
many peoples. We often seek a quick resolution of our problems, but
it is not possible. The U.S. is now trying to fight for democracy and
economic freedoms globally. No one except the U.S. is doing this and
wants to do this. Thus, we should help the U.S. in this.” Hajizadeh
also heads Far Center, one of Azerbaijan’s preeminent think tanks.
Another prominent opposition activist similarly commented that the
ongoing crisis around Iran was the real motivation for inviting
President Aliyev to Washington. Fuad Mustafayev, deputy chairman of
the opposition Popular Front, commented, “That is why I believe that
[the opposition’s] relations with the U.S. will remain the same as
before despite this invitation. The Popular Front party has never
expected anybody from abroad to come and build democracy for us here.
It is our own duty” (Yeni Musavat, May 3).
Meanwhile, other experts clearly focused on the benefits of the
visit. According to independent political analyst Rasim Musabeyov,
“for a [country the] size of Azerbaijan, such a visit and talks with
the sole superpower in the world have extraordinary implications. It
shows the growing geopolitical role of Azerbaijan in the region”
(Echo, May 2).
Another expert suggested that the visit had actually strengthened
Aliyev’s position as head of state. Echoing the opinion of some
Western analysts, Zardush Alizadeh speculated that President Aliyev
might change his mind regarding Iran should the time come for Baku to
take a stance.
Aliyev’s visit to the White House brought new dimensions to
U.S.-Azerbaijani relations. Henceforth, bilateral ties will no longer
be evaluated through the prism of oil and gas alone. Now cooperation
between the two countries has shifted to address issues of
geopolitical strategy and the global fight against terrorism, both of
which are ongoing priorities for Bush and Aliyev in the region.
At the same time, opposition parties are now focusing on the Iranian
issue more and more, trying to draw Tehran into the critical
discourse regarding Aliyev’s visit. On May 3, Yeni Musavat reported
that the United States is building a military base in the south of
Azerbaijan, which will host a radio-location station and air-defense
equipment. Such capabilities could be called into service should
Washington launch an attack on Iran.
Aliyev’s visit raised the U.S.-Azerbaijani strategic partnership to
new, higher levels, but it still left many questions unanswered.
Pundits in Baku continue to wonder what will be Azerbaijan’s role
should the U.S.-Iranian conflict intensify, and what will be the
future of the peace talks with Armenia over the disputed Karabakh
enclave. The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict was expected to be on the
agenda of the Bush-Aliyev meeting, yet it still is unclear exactly
what they discussed and what will be the consequences of this
meeting.
Meanwhile, the co-chairs of the Minsk group gathered in Moscow this
week to discuss the ongoing peace process around the Karabakh
conflict. Azerbaijani politicians and experts believe that the
results of Rambouillet talks in February between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan are not as dead as they initially seemed. The
Day.az Internet news service reported, “At this stage, the U.S. is
taking a lead in the peace process.”