TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA AND THE U.S. HAVE BEEN WORKING
TOGETHER TO DIVERSIFY ENERGY RESOURCES AND ACHIEVE
ENERGY SECURITY IN THE CASPIAN REGION FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES
- At the epicenter of Eurasian energy and transport routes, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are bolstering global energy security by providing for the safe and secure flow of goods, services, and energy resources to world markets.
Since the “Contract of the Century” was signed in 1994, Azerbaijan has extensively developed its energy resources to diversify western energy supplies. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline became fully operational in July 2006, and will provide one third of new oil to international markets. - Turkey and Israel are jointly working for the realization of the Turkey-Israel Multi-Pipeline System which will support global energy security as the North-South energy corridor becomes as important as the East-West energy corridor.
- New opportunities have emerged in Turkmenistan for the realization of the Turkmenistan-Trans Caspian-Turkey-Europe Gas Pipeline Project (TCP).
THE ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN CONFLICT
- Armenia occupies 20 percent of neighboring Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno Karabakh region and seven additional regions.
- The State Department’s 2008 fact sheet on the region states: “The United States does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country, and its leadership is not recognized internationally or by the United States. The United States supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and holds that the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between the parties with the aim of achieving a lasting and comprehensive political resolution of the conflict. The United States remains committed to finding a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the Minsk Group process.” The United States mediates the peace process as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group which was established in 1992.
- From a total population of eight million, there are nearly one million refugees and internally displaced Azerbaijanis.
- According to the U.S. Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave is “blockaded by neighboring Armenia.”
- Four U.N. Security Council resolutions (822, 853, 874, 884) adopted in 1992 and 1993 call for the unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories.
- Armenia has not recognized the Armenian-Turkish border.
ARMENIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN
- Iran is one of Armenia’s largest trading partners. The two countries are working on a trade agreement.
- An Iran-Armenia gas pipeline was opened by President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Armenian President Robert Kocharian on March 19, 2007.
- Russia and Iran are planning to construct a refinery in Armenia with an annual capacity to refine 53 million barrels of oil and produce gasoline and diesel fuel. Armenia will only use 1 million tons of refined oil; the vast majority will be exported.
- The State Department expressed concern about relations between Armenia and Iran in its 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism
“Armenia’s warming relations with neighboring Iran continued, with Armenia hosting official visits by Iranian President Ahmadinejad (October) and Iranian Defense Minister Najjar (November). In addition to fostering closer diplomatic ties, these visits served to solidify previous bilateral commitments to develop joint energy and transportation projects. This closer cooperation has made Armenia more reluctant to criticize publicly objectionable Iranian conduct or join other UN member states in advocating for sanctions on the Iranian regime.”
June 2008,
Mustafa Nevruz SINACI
TURKISH FORUM ADVISORY BOARD
Ankara, TÜRKİYE