Experts talk about Azerbaijan's turn from West to East

Baku /29.08.22/Turan: Both Azerbaijani officials and the country's official media have begun to criticize the United States and France for their position on Karabakh.

A few days ago, when the United States appointed the co-chair of the Minsk Group, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a statement that "attempts to "revive" the actually non-functioning Minsk Group may lead to the fact that the United States is moving away from the process of normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations."
In response, the State Department rejected criticism over the appointment of Philip Riker as co-chair of the Minsk Group.

On August 27, Presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said that "we consider it disrespectful to our territorial integrity" that the US and French Ambassadors did not visit Shusha, despite the invitation.

He added that these countries will no longer be invited to Shusha.

The US Embassy in Azerbaijan told the "Voice of America" that there is no greater supporter of Azerbaijan's independence and sovereignty than the United States. "The staff of the US Embassy visited all regions of Azerbaijan, including Aghdam, Zangilan and Fizuli, and continue to do so. Embassy staff visit all regions of the country to establish relations with Azerbaijan on such important issues as security, healthcare, energy and economic development.

Milli Majlis deputy Aydin Mirzazadeh told Turan that there are real attempts to revive the OSCE Minsk Group by the United States and France. "This is evidenced by the recent appointment of the US Special Representative on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. However, the Minsk Group actually no longer exists. Russia refused to participate in the meetings of the co-chairs, Azerbaijan declares that this group is not needed, and in this case it is unclear what the group will do."

According to him, Azerbaijan is absolutely right to protest against the absence of representatives of the United States and France at an international event organized in Shusha. "The USA and France are extraordinary countries and are one of the main factors determining world politics, they are one of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, and Azerbaijan maintains close relations with them. We are not talking about the fact that ambassadors should participate in the event, there may also be a representative of the embassy."

The MP noted that Azerbaijan wants to see support for its activities in the territory liberated from occupation. "The United States and France have always made statements in support of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has secured its territorial integrity. In this regard, we would like to see these diplomatic representatives at those events to once again present the position of their countries. We would like to see the active participation of American and French companies in the restoration work in the de-occupation zone."

Mirzazade stressed that Azerbaijan is doing this on its own. "There are other countries with us. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan provide great support in this matter. Azerbaijan will do everything on its own. But then there will be no place for American and French companies."

The MP believes that such an attitude can harm the international image of the United States and France. "From the point of view of the fact that a country with a problem in one form or another predicts that the United States and France will not participate in this issue on the example of Azerbaijan. We would very much like this dissatisfaction of Azerbaijan to be taken into account by the US Foreign Ministry. Officials of these two foreign countries should seriously reflect on the words of the assistant to the President of Azerbaijan that "we will not invite them any longer."

Public figure Bakhtiar Hajiyev said that it is wrong to consider the fact that the embassies did not visit Shusha as disrespect for territorial integrity. "The position of the US and French ambassadors in Azerbaijan is currently inactive. The era of their diplomatic missions is over."

The activist noted that just a month ago, the President of Azerbaijan sent a letter to the President of this country on the occasion of the Independence Day of the United States. "In this letter, the President of Azerbaijan clearly said that the United States was one of the countries that supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan from the first days of our independence."

He considers it no coincidence that the recent criticism of the United States and France coincided with the time when the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan participated in the meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union. "I think Azerbaijan wants to make a certain turn in its foreign policy in favor of Russia and is preparing public opinion for this. They create an anti-Western public opinion, and then integrate Russia into the Eurasian Economic Union."

Political commentator Azer Gasymly said that Aliyev is preparing the country for the post-Putin period. "The foreign policy should prepare a new strategy for this period. This strategy includes Turanian unity, Turkism, Great Azerbaijan. That is why there is such a rapprochement with Turkey. The visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, the visit of Ilham Aliyev to Uzbekistan took place, the idea of Turan is promoted in the media. But even here there is a risk that these preparations will be in vain if Erdogan fails to remain in office in the presidential elections to be held in Turkey next year."

According to the political scientist, this is the reason for the attacks of the authorities on the United States and France, as well as the discrediting of the topic of integration with the West. "On the other hand, Aliyev probably had certain agreements with Putin, and within the framework of these agreements, Khankendi will formally look like Azerbaijani territory, with the Azerbaijani state flag and the representative of the President. However, there is no question of bringing the Azerbaijani army into Khankendi. In return, perhaps the peacekeeping contingent on the territory of Azerbaijan will be presented with the status of a base, and perhaps Azerbaijan will become a member of the Eurasian Economic Union."—0—