U.S. Policy Must Be Free from Influence of Armenian Lobby

Azerbaijan ensures regional security and cooperation with leading multinational companies in a number of geo-economic projects including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline and others in Azerbaijan and Georgia. This was stated by Farhad Mammadov, the head of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan, speaking on Friday at the conference "The role of the Azerbaijani-US cooperation in the establishment of regional peace and security."

Azerbaijan provides energy security for the closest allies of the United States:

Israel, Georgia, Turkey, Italy, and others, and also plays an active role in the formation of the Southern energy corridor.

Azerbaijan can be an example of an effective secular state, and its pragmatic relations with the U.S. could become a model of relations with the Turkic states of Central Asia, Mammadov said.

The growing economic power of Azerbaijan extends to the Black Sea, where the investment of Baku reaches $15 billion.

However, unresolved conflicts are a source of long-term threats to stability and security in the South Caucasus. The occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the separatism in Abkhazia and South Ossetia hamper security and full integration of the region.

Azerbaijan has agreed to the OSCE Minsk Group being co-chaired by the U.S., Russia and France, as these countries - the most powerful and influential in the world - are also permanent members of the UN Security Council. "All three countries have leverage over the aggressor country, but unfortunately, no one uses the mechanisms of pressure," said Mamedov.

According to Mamedov, regional security and U.S. policy are influenced by small lobby groups. "These groups pose a real risk to the full and effective implementation of U.S. foreign policy in the region." As an example, he recalled the Armenian lobby blocking the appointment of the U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan.

For the same reason, the U.S. does not officially support the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway transportation artery project linking Asia and Europe.

Allegations that the resolution of the conflict depends on the will of the parties are irresponsible.

The United States, as the most powerful state in the world, can and should play a responsible role in the settlement process.

The U.S. initiative to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations is an example of short-sighted and misguided U.S. policy in the region. The desire to increase its influence in Armenia turned into a complete failure, Mammadov said.

Because of the influence of the Armenian Diaspora, the U.S. can not take an active part in the settlement of the main threat to security in the South Caucasus - the Karabakh conflict, Mammadov said. -06D-