"Zerkalo": In principle, Baku is ready to turn to NATO for membership
In principle, Azerbaijan is ready officially to turn to Brussels for NATO membership, Azeri newspaper "Zerkalo" reports quoting its informed diplomatic sources. "However, alongside the source informed that official Baku does not hurry in this direction, which has serious causes. The matter is that after official request if during the NATO next summit a positive decision is made, the sides must pass to an intensive regime of dialog. This period lasts from 3 up to 5 years. The problem is that during the intensive dialog stage NATO does not offer candidates to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization security guarantees. And actually, this factor will create serous problems for Azerbaijan. After all, to put it mildly, Azerbaijan is surrounded by unfriendly countries-Russia, Armenia, Iran," "Zerkalo" writes. That's why, the newspaper reports, "almost for sure we can say that in case of official request to Brussels by Baku for NATO membership Russia and Iran will function their additional mechanisms of pressure on Azerbaijan." " In such cases the problem of providing security to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization candidates is being settled through bilateral agreements with NATO member states on military-political cooperation, as a rule, with the United States. "However, in this case with Azerbaijan US's opportunities are limited
The whole problem is in the so-called 907th amendment to the Liberty Support Act, which does allow breaking the parity for military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan. Today the U.S. has opportunities to provide Azerbaijan military assistance indirectly, that is to say, through various NATO programs. First, Washington continues to hope that it will be possible to reach some agreements during the first half of 2007 on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. In this case the White House will be totally free to act. But the solution of the conflict is hardly to happen in near future.
Second, some agreements may be signed, which will allow, say, to temporary deploy "a limited contingent of foreign troops in Azerbaijan", first of all American, in case if "any threat occurs to the oil pipeline and wells." But this variant too is not considered fully trustworthy.
Third, functions of providing security guarantee to Azerbaijan can take another NATO member-state with Washington's consent-Turkey. The source underlined that active negotiations are being held in this direction. However, this variant too has its negative sides. The source also noted Brussels is nervous not only for delay of official request by Baku, but also with the fact that unlike Armenia Azerbaijan even has not fulfilled the half of commitments in the framework of Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO. But recently, as they say, it seems things are moving, the source underscored," "Zerkalo" reports.
Second, some agreements may be signed, which will allow, say, to temporary deploy "a limited contingent of foreign troops in Azerbaijan", first of all American, in case if "any threat occurs to the oil pipeline and wells." But this variant too is not considered fully trustworthy.
Third, functions of providing security guarantee to Azerbaijan can take another NATO member-state with Washington's consent-Turkey. The source underlined that active negotiations are being held in this direction. However, this variant too has its negative sides. The source also noted Brussels is nervous not only for delay of official request by Baku, but also with the fact that unlike Armenia Azerbaijan even has not fulfilled the half of commitments in the framework of Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO. But recently, as they say, it seems things are moving, the source underscored," "Zerkalo" reports.
