USA, Washington, September 30 / Trend N. Bogdanova /
The current processes in the region created a brilliant opportunity for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict adjustment, one of the most influential U.S lawmakers, Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, said.
"Turkey Armenia normalization consultations brought out the importance of cooperation in the region," Lugar said, speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington.
The protocol on resumption of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan is planned to be signed on October 10, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told media earlier.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December 1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7 districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Lugar pointed out that every country of the South Caucasus region is important for U.S and Washington would like to see these countries in peace.
Senator especially pointed out Azerbaijan's importance in terms of energy and Geo-strategic factors. He said that Azerbaijan is still remaining as important ally in the U.S policy towards region.
Senator criticized "hasty" decision of Mr. Obama to abandon plans for defenses against long-range Iranian missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic, in favor of a strategy aimed at short- and mid-range projectiles.
According to Senator, even if the administration's missile defense policy change of course is a "technical improvement" over the previous plan, Iranian missiles never constituted the primary rationale for Polish and Czech decisions to buy into the Bush administration's plan.
Senator Lugar added that this decision will make Russia's point of view stronger at its "sphere of influence."
Senator stressed that U.S mediators applied to the Czech Republic and Poland to place anti-missile defense shield to protect from Iranian nuclear threat.
"In response to rising domestic opposition, these governments expended considerable capital to keep talks moving forward" - he added.
He stressed that among Washington's security plans in the region there was also the issue of energy security. Senator pointed out that Gazprom, a natural-gas company headquartered in Moscow, has shut off supplies to NATO allies in the last few years.
"This July, we saw promising signs that a common strategy is achievable. I was invited to join the U.S Envoy for Energy Security, Ambassador Richard Morningstar, for the signing of a landmark agreement in Ankara to move forward on the NABUCCO pipeline.
This agreement was a breakthrough that had only dim prospects one year ago.
The intergovernmental agreement on Nabucco gas pipeline project was signed in Ankara this summer. Heads of Turkish, Austrian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Romanian governments and chairman of European commission Jose Manuel Barroso signed the document.
Nabucco gas pipeline project worth €7.9 billion envisages gas supply from the Caspian region to EU countries. Participants of the project are Austrian OMV, Hungarian MOL, Bulgarian Bulgargaz, Romanian Transgaz, Turkish Botas and German RWE companies. Each of participants has equal share to the amount of 16.67 percent.
Construction of gas pipeline is planned to be launched in 2011, the first supplies - in 2014.
"Open season" process - receiving of bids for pipeline filling up will be the next action after signing the inter-governmental agreement.
Investment decision on the project will be made in the first quarter of 2010, as expected.
Maximal capacity of pipeline will hit 31 billion cubic meters per year.