Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar.17
By Anahanum Khidayatova - Trend:
Even though the United States succeeded in tearing down the Berlin Wall, it was not as triumphant in avoiding the protracted conflict that has set back the South Caucasus region, freelance journalist and a research scholar of International Affairs of Marquette University (US) Peter Tase told Trend March 17.
"The apathy of US Foreign Policy towards the Caspian region and towards Baku in particular continues, even though democratic reforms and impressive economic growth implemented by the current government of Azerbaijan are reaching the apex of success," he said.
The current influence of the United States in the South Caucasus region is reminiscent to Washington's little support provided to Azerbaijan when the latter declared its short lived independence in 1918, which subsequently was brought to an end by the newly established Soviet Union, according to him.
"The Russian-Georgian war of 2008, has shown clearly that the United States and other western nations are reluctant to become directly involved in conflicts that are commonly regarded as 'Russia's backyard'," he said.
It is imperative that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the United States, involve other nations and become more active towards securing peace and stability in the invaded territories of Azerbaijan, as it is clearly defined by four UN Security Council Resolutions, he said.
"Armenia must respect and fulfill the requirements set forth by the four UN Security Council resolutions which request the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh province and the surrounding regions," Peter Tase said.
John Kerry said that "The US is interested in assisting Azerbaijan and Armenia in the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict", however due to his busy agenda, the US Diplomatic Chief has not been able to pay an official visit to Baku, nevertheless Kerry has visited Turkey, one of the neighboring countries of Azerbaijan, four times over the last two years, Peter Tase said.
"The prospects to bring the Conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh to an end are high even though the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and European Union against Russia, after the annexation of Crimea, have caused an irreparable friction between all parties involved and these measures from the West are causing a negative impact and unimagined consequences towards reaching a definitive peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by CN
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