Washington briefing: U.S., Azerbaijan calibrating ties after Georgia war

by Emil Sanamyan and Lusine Sarkisyan

Published: Saturday October 11, 2008

John Negroponte. Washington -

Deputy Secretary John Negroponte, the State Department's second most senior official, went to Azerbaijan on October 2 in an apparent effort to safeguard plans for Caspian natural gas to flow to Europe via Georgia and Turkey.

Following the Russian military success in Georgia, Azerbaijani officials have hinted they might agree to a Russian proposal to buy all of Azerbaijan's natural gas at market prices. In response, U.S. official have sought to recommit Baku to westward projects by playing up U.S. support for Azerbaijan's "territorial integrity," or in other words its claims on Armenian Karabakh.

The U.S. government has made breaking Russia's near-monopoly on natural gas exports to Europe one of its regional priorities. But since the United States is also opposed to energy cooperation with Iran, which has the world's second largest natural gas resources after Russia, it is counting on supplies of natural gas from Turkmenistan through a pipeline network that would skirt both Russia and Iran.

Mr. Negroponte hinted that the United States might give the upcoming reelection of President Ilham Aliyev its seal of approval even though all major opposition figures are boycotting it.

The U.S. official was noncommittal when questioned repeatedly whether the United States would provide military help to Azerbaijan if it were attacked by Russia, but promised that "the United States will continue our security cooperation and assist the reform of Azerbaijan's defense establishment," according to a State Department transcript of his remarks.