BAKU-WASHINGTON:STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IS STRENGTHENING

In one of our previous editions (No 4, 15 February 2007), we informed our readers about the successful completion of the first session (7-8 February) of the Economic Partnership Commission (EPC) between Azerbaijan and the USA. The establishment of the ECP, which became a new format of cooperation and replaced the joint working group, demonstrated the growing interest of the two countries in drawing up fundamentally new approaches to issues of bilateral cooperation in the sphere of trade, economy and investment, and became a natural reflection of the real positive changes in relations between Baku and Washington.

Last month this tendency continued its further development. On 20-23 March, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov paid a working visit to Washington at the invitation of his American counterpart, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Mammadyarov held a number of important meetings with American officials from Congress, the Department of State, the Department of Defence and the Department of Energy. As we can see from the press release issued by the  Department of State, the purpose of another regular meeting (they have been regularly held since 2004) between the two countries' foreign ministers was to strengthen cooperation based on three equally important political priorities - democratic and economic reforms, cooperation in the spheres of energy and security.

However, as we learnt from diplomatic sources, the dominant subject of the Washington meetings was also the problem of democratization and human rights in our country, and this subject was discussed in quite a favourable and friendly atmosphere. Specifically, the Azerbaijani foreign minister held negotiations in the US capital with US Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Barry Lowenkron. They exchanged views on the development of the human rights situation in Azerbaijan, the building of a civil society, freedom of speech in the media, ensuring the supremacy of the law and other topical aspects of the establishment of a civil society. During the negotiations, the US side gave a positive assessment to the national human rights plan approved by the Azerbaijani president (28 December 2006) and pointed out that the consistent implementation of this document will be of great importance to the democratization of public life and the establishment of a law-governed state in Azerbaijan. At the same time, both sides pointed out with satisfaction that the provision on the need to involve Azerbaijani NGOs in the implementation of the plan, which was mentioned in the president's decree, testifies to the seriousness of the intentions of the country's leadership in this sphere and can become an important factor for the success of this project. We should also point out that within the framework of the visit, Mammadyarov held discussions with heads of leading US rights organizations and NGOs, which also took place in quite an open and respectful atmosphere. The discussions clearly demonstrated the readiness of both sides to solve in a constructive spirit such delicate issues as the building of a civil society and the strengthening of democratic institutions in our country, the protection of human rights, ensuring of freedom of speech in the media, reforms in the police and court systems in Azerbaijan, as well as other human rights issues.

It is also important to point out that although the aforesaid subject was dominant, it was not the only subject during the Washington meetings of the Azerbaijani foreign minister. Within the framework of his working visit, Mammadyarov was also received by US Assistant State Secretary for International Security and Non-Proliferation John Rood and by Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Eric Edelman. He discussed with them important issues of developing bilateral relations and the regional and international situation. In this context, it must be noted that Washington attaches special importance to the dialogue and exchange of opinions with Azerbaijan on such sensitive issues as the situation in the South Caucasus, the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear programme and the situation in Afghanistan. The US leadership takes account of the growing economic and political influence of our country in the region, its current status in the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference) and role in the Muslim world as a whole, and its strategic position at the intersection of important energy projects that link Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Within the framework of the visit to Washington, an important step was taken towards the further development of the bilateral dialogue in the energy sphere. On behalf of their governments, the Azerbaijani foreign minister and the US secretary of state signed a memorandum on mutual understanding in the energy sphere. In the memorandum, they expressed their intention to establish a "high-level dialogue" between the Azerbaijani Foreign Minisry and the US Department of State in order to deepen and expand the current cooperation between the two countries and their companies in the sphere of ensuring the energy security of Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia and strengthening Azerbaijan's resource and transit potential. Thus, after the European Union, the United States became another strategic partner of Azerbaijan in the energy sphere, and relations with it are confirmed by a relevant political-legal document. The US Department of State points out in its press release that the study of possibilities to increase oil and gas extraction in Azerbaijan with the aim of transporting them to southern and central Europe by the Turkey-Greece-Italy pipeline, Nabucco and other potential pipelines on the basis of the commercial profitability principle will be a priority within the framework of the Azerbaijani-American "high-level dialogue". In order to study the possibility of additional gas supplies to the European market, both sides expressed their intention to interact and cooperate with the gas producers of Central Asia. The USA also promised to help Azerbaijan develop renewable sources of energy and implement measures to save energy and increase the effectiveness of the energy system. In the context of preparing for the first round of the energy dialogue which will take place this year, on the last day of its visit to Washington the Azerbaijani delegation led by Mammadyarov took part in an informal round table on energy issues, which was chaired by US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Sullivan.

Thus, the partnership between Azerbaijan and the USA is being supplemented stage by stage with new directions of dialogue and interaction. According to the results of the Azerbaijani foreign minister's visit to Washington, such traditional issues of the bilateral agenda as an active dialogue on security issues and cooperation within the framework of the Economic Partnership Commission were supplement by the high-level energy dialogue between the foreign ministries and a dialogue on humanitarian problems. This tendency testifies to the mutual interest of Baku and Washington in strengthening the strategic nature of bilateral relations and increasing each other's role and place in the system of foreign policy priorities.