Comments on: Bush Meets Aliyev in Washington http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/04/29/bush-meets-aliyev-in-washington/ Journalism and Photography from Armenia and the Surrounding Region Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:42:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/04/29/bush-meets-aliyev-in-washington/#comment-1626 Sun, 30 Apr 2006 11:05:19 +0100 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/04/29/bush-meets-aliyev-in-washington/#comment-1626 Eurasianet <a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav042806a.shtml">has more</a> on Aliyev's visit to Washington. <blockquote>Some analysts in Baku characterized the Washington visit as an all-around success for Aliyev. "His position in Azerbaijan is stable, and he did not have to ask any favors of the United States. Meanwhile, the United States needs Azerbaijani support in the Iran issue," said Ilgar Mammadov, an independence political analyst. [...] Upon his return to Baku, experts expect Aliyev to follow up on his democratization rhetoric with reforms -- both substantive and symbolic – that are designed to improve Azerbaijan’s international image. Arif Yunusov, head of the Conflict Prevention Department at the Baku-based Institute for Peace and Democracy, suggested that Aliyev might reopen channels of communication with his political opponents, adding that the opposition could very well win a few additional seats in repeat parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 13. [...] Concerning the Karabakh issue, Azerbaijani officials are now looking forward to the next meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group, which Mamedyarov, the foreign minister, indicated would convene May 2 in Moscow. The Minsk Group is charged with mediating peace talks, and Baku’s expectations are high that US negotiators will press for a settlement that conforms to Azerbaijan’s wishes. "They [US officials] need stability in the South Caucasus given the rise of tension over Iran," Yunusov said.</blockquote> RFE/RL also has <a href="http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/04/8cc1ce5a-70ba-4c06-bcce-9ccf943b3150.html">more</a>. Eurasianet has more on Aliyev’s visit to Washington.

Some analysts in Baku characterized the Washington visit as an all-around success for Aliyev. “His position in Azerbaijan is stable, and he did not have to ask any favors of the United States. Meanwhile, the United States needs Azerbaijani support in the Iran issue,” said Ilgar Mammadov, an independence political analyst.

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Upon his return to Baku, experts expect Aliyev to follow up on his democratization rhetoric with reforms — both substantive and symbolic – that are designed to improve Azerbaijan’s international image. Arif Yunusov, head of the Conflict Prevention Department at the Baku-based Institute for Peace and Democracy, suggested that Aliyev might reopen channels of communication with his political opponents, adding that the opposition could very well win a few additional seats in repeat parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 13.

[…]

Concerning the Karabakh issue, Azerbaijani officials are now looking forward to the next meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group, which Mamedyarov, the foreign minister, indicated would convene May 2 in Moscow. The Minsk Group is charged with mediating peace talks, and Baku’s expectations are high that US negotiators will press for a settlement that conforms to Azerbaijan’s wishes. “They [US officials] need stability in the South Caucasus given the rise of tension over Iran,” Yunusov said.

RFE/RL also has more.

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