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Richard Morningstar hosted by US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce in Washington

24 June 2009 07:48 (UTC +04:00)

Morningstar said new White House administration pursued more balanced policy in the region and called Azerbaijan as one of the most important countries for them, APA US bureau reports. The ambassador shared his thoughts about his last visit to the region and said the situation was comparatively improved there. â€œTurkey received a right message during the meeting between Presidents Aliyev and Gul in Prague. Then Prime Minister Erdogan visited Baku. Turkey understood that the number of important issues should be made clear. There were changes in the government of Turkey as wellâ€.

Morningstar shared his impression about the visit to Turkmenistan and said the progress reached at the meetings exceeded his expectations. He said stopping of the gas transportation via Turkmenistan-Russia pipeline was one of the possible reasons of the results achieved in Ashgabat.

The diplomat spoke about the current state of the Azerbaijan-Turkmen relations and said there was mutual respect and understanding between the presidents of the two countries. Regarding the discord between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan over the Kepez field in the Caspian Sea, the ambassador said the most acceptable solution of the problem could be a political-business agreement between the countries without the border issue. Morningstar mentioned the prospects of the Iranâ€™s participation in the Nabucco and South Stream projects and said his issue was not on agenda in the present phase.

Then Morningstar answered the questions of representatives of the companies operated in Azerbaijan, members of the Azerbaijani Diaspora and the journalists.

Azerbaijani ambassador to the United States Yashar Aliyev told APA US bureau that US-Azerbaijan relations are developed. â€œHowever we have not to forget that Section 907 is still preventing the development of mutual relations. It is strange obstacle between the tow allies and it must be liftedâ€.

Ambassador Aliyev said Section 907 was imposed by the congress where there were many pro-Armenian forces, but US administration needed to address this issue more attentivelyâ€.