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“AZERBAIJAN IS CONCERNED ABOUT TURKEY-ARMENIA RAPPROCHEMENT”
ELDAR ISMAILOV,
Doctor of History, professor of Baku State University, director of the NGO “For Civil Society”, Baku
In connection with the meeting between Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which was held on November 22 in Munich, the rumours that Yerevan can agree on liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh areas are discussed in Azerbaijan. But there is no telling if those concessions are realistic. There is a hope that Armenia will do that, and not at the expense of Azerbaijan’s large concessions. But I believe that so far the sides are not going to make it up with each other.
Azerbaijan is concerned about Turkey-Armenia rapprochement. Turkey is Azerbaijan’s strategic partner, and Turkey-Armenia rapprochement can deprive Baku of the strategic partnership. At the same time there is no need to dramatize the situation.
Turkey has always sought to play a significant role in the Caucasian region, which comes natural. The rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia is inevitable. I think that Azerbaijan will not lose Turkey as a significant partner.
Russia’s role in the region is of the same importance to Baku. The visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Russia on November 24 has confirmed that once again. We hope that Russia will support and understand us and that it will follow a balanced policy in the region. I would not like Russia to always favour only one side in the region and to consider only Armenia as an outpost of its interests in the South Caucasus. I believe that Azerbaijan is a more reliable partner for Russia in the region.
Georgia is a country with which Azerbaijan would like to maintain good relations. Azerbaijan has bad relations with Armenia, so it cannot afford to have such relations with another neighbouring country. Baku does its utmost to make Georgia its ally. Tbilisi also makes reverent gestures towards Baku, especially as because Azerbaijan is a richer country than Georgia, and Georgia needs investments. By the way, Azerbaijan could become an important partner in improvement of Russia-Georgia relations, which I believe will take place sooner or later.
November 26, 2009
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