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How do American experts assess Secretary of State’s pending visit to Azerbaijan? - QUESTIONING

How do American experts assess Secretary of State’s pending visit to Azerbaijan? - <font color=red> QUESTIONING</font>

28 June 2010 16:27 (UTC +04:00)

"The Secretary of State’s pending visit to Baku is designed to make a very clear, symbolic sign about the importance Washington places on the relationship, which has frayed in recent yearsâ€, Thomas Goltz, American journalist and adjunct professor of Political Science at Montana State University told APAâ€™s Washington correspondent.

According to him, the previous visit of Defense Secretary Gates to Baku in early June was more important symbolically because he was the first Cabinet-level visitor from the Obama administration and he was not ’sharing’ his time with Georgia and Armenia, as is the case with the Clinton trip.

â€œAs for the content of the visit I have nothing to say, other than I imagine it will be the usual schmooze", he added.

Another analyst Ariel Cohen, a leading American expert on Russia, Eurasia and a Senior Fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC believes that it is high time that US showed leadership in the Caucasus: â€œMs. Clinton will talk Azerbaijan talk about what is really important, such as peace between Armenian and Azerbaijan, and therefore her visit is welcome news for the region. It is coming after the G-8 statement on Karabakh. After Secretary Gatesâ€™ and Ms. Clintonâ€™s visits, and the future arrival of Ambassador Bryza, the dialogue between Baku and Washington will be firmly back on track. The proposed peace settlement envisages the return of the six occupied regions to Azerbaijan, which will be a big step in the right direction. I also hope that Secretary of State will also encourage Azerbaijan and other countries involved to move ahead on Nabuccoâ€.