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Regional Strategic Point Paper

Decent Essays

AZERBAIJAN POINT PAPER

SUBJECT: Assessment of the Caucasus Region

1. ISSUE. Provide the USEUCOM Commander an overview of Azerbaijan’s approach to the situation in the Caucasus Region. 2. FACTS. a. Primary National Interest: Republic of Azerbaijan works to ensure sustained economic growth by protecting and exploiting proven oil reserves from deepwater Caspian Basin oilfields and its transport to growing western markets via the Baku-Tblilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil and associated South Caucasus (SCP) gas pipeline. Azerbaijan leverages this energy development to build strategic partnerships & ensure international attention for its independence, and attempt to influence attitudes toward the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) conflict.

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At the same time, Azerbaijan has appears to value some cooperative relations with Russia to increase its options and leverage in diplomacy and trade.

c. Azerbaijan’s most likely actions:
(1) Diplomatic: Maintain membership in the United Nations, Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO’s Partnership for Peace, GUAM Organization for Democracy & Economic Development, World Health Organization, World Bank, IMF, the Council of Europe and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Azerbaijan desires NATO and European Union integration.
(2) Informational: Show strong public support for national sovereignty and democracy. State provides public information on the importance of natural resource development to ensure sustained economic growth for all its citizens; messages for employment, media & electoral reform are likely.
(3) Military: Continues positive trends to security cooperation & reform. Received U.S. Foreign Operations Appropriations (FY 08; FMF: $4.3 million & IMET: $1 million) in lieu of FSA waivers. They seek security integration & strategic partnerships to counter terrorism, organized crime & drug trafficking. Conducts regional (GUAM) joint military exercises in order to disrupt decentralized targeting of critical infrastructure; participates in NATO Partnership for Peace program.
(4) Economic: Pursues a positive trend towards

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