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Former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ross Wilson: â€œHillary Clintonâ€™s visit to Azerbaijan will positively impact on further development of bilateral relationsâ€ - INTERVIEW

15 June 2010 11:44 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Victoria Dementyeva â€“ APA. Director of Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, former U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ross Wilson gave an interview to APA and Turan agencies.

- What can you say about the purpose of your visit to Azerbaijan?

- Currently, I am a Director of Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council. Itâ€™s an NGO functioning in Washington. New centers dealing with Eurasian, South Caucasian and African issues as well as the economic ones operate here. Iâ€™ve taken my office recently and visited Azerbaijan due to the organization of a conference in Istanbul this fall. I want to know the events going on in Azerbaijan. Iâ€™ve conducted a number of meetings here in order to know how the relations between our countries are evaluated. Iâ€™ll go sightseeing in Baku on Sunday.

- What issues are expected to be in the focus of attention at the forthcoming conference in Istanbul?

- This conference will be dedicated to economic and energy issues in Eurasia. Ministers of energy and economy of regional countries, including China, Korea, Iraq, Brazil, Egypt, Persian Gulf countries will be invited to the event. We will discuss energy, economic and political issues as well as the issues of further development of energy sector in this region at the conference.

- As you said that one of the main goals of your visit was to evaluate the bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the United States. Itâ€™s not a secret that these relations have not been satisfactory over the last one year. How do you assess the current level of relations between the two countries?

- Iâ€™m not an expert to assess it, because itâ€™s only my first day in Azerbaijan. Washington also wants to have better relations between our countries. We support the interests of Azerbaijan, further expansion of cooperation between our countries, development of Azerbaijanâ€™s resources, extension of Azerbaijanâ€™s relations with Europe and restoration of peace in the region. I know that all U.S. ambassadors to Azerbaijan made every effort to achieve these goals.

- Recently U.S. Secretary of Defense visited Azerbaijan. Secretary of State Hillary Clintonâ€™s visit to our country is also expected. What has caused the intensity of US high ranking officialsâ€™ visit to Azerbaijan?

- I was very surprised when I learnt that Hillary Clinton would be the second Secretary of State visiting Azerbaijan after James Baker over the past 18 years. It is a positive step, we can develop our relations in this way. Especially, such visits contribute to our cooperation in time when there is not any U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan.

- How do you assess the level of democracy in Azerbaijan?

- Of course, there are some problems in Azerbaijan as in the whole world and in the all region. The democracy â€“ is the target for everyone, for all of us. It is very difficult to assess the situation of democracy in the country within one day. Basing on my knowledge and practice, I can say along with problems, there are perspectives for democratization of the country.

- You were U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan in 2000-2003. And after long years you have visited Azerbaijan again. What do you think, are there any changes in the country?

- What Iâ€™ve seen in the city, I may say that the country is developing, it is getting richer. According to IMF information, income per capita was $800 when I left Azerbaijan 7 years ago. But today this number has reached $4000. I walk about the city, saw a lot of new cars, buildings, and roads are better as well. It is clear that the country has developed more from the economic standpoint. There are several changes and it is a good fact.

- How effective do you consider the US activity directed to settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

- There is not any agreement on results and main principles. I am very sorry about this, because I worked on Nagorno Karabakh problem within 3 years here and then in U.S. State Department. I know that big works were done in this direction last year, some steps were taken, but there was not any result. This problem should be solved. It is important both for Azerbaijan and Armenia.

- How do you see the resolution perspectives of this conflict? How long is it possible?

- The sides have will for solution to the conflict. Both Baku and Yerevan. Such will also exists in Moscow, Paris and Washington. One needs patience and persistency for regulation of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

- You worked as U.S. ambassador to Turkey too. How do you assess the normalization process of Turkey-Armenia relations? The initiator of this process was US.

- The US was not the initiator of that process. This initiative belonged to Turkey and Armenia.

- Then how do you see the normalization perspectives?

- It is not clear, the process has been frozen. Neither Yerevan nor Ankara put aside the idea. I do not know whether new activity will be started in this direction or not.

- May this process impact on solution process of Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

- I think that yes. Because there is not any progress in direction of solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict for several years. This situation may be changed in this way, for my mind it may be a good step. Turkey also assessed the situation so, they wanted to help the process of solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict.