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Stratfor: If Russia and Azerbaijan were to forge an agreement leading Azerbaijan to focus on developing energy projects that do not interfere with Russiaâ€™s energy dominance, it would be a blow to U.S. interests in the region

11 August 2011 11:23 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Habil Suleymanzadeh â€“ APA. â€œThe United States remains very interested in Azerbaijanâ€™s energy sector,â€ says the analysis prepared by Stratfor, APA reports. Reviewing the tendencies in the political triangle of Azerbaijan, Russia and US, the analysts of the center say that the Caucasus is one of the battlegrounds between Washington and Moscow. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, wants to pressure Washington and assist Moscow as part of its overall strategy to play outside interests against each other so as to improve its position to pursue its own goals.

â€œFollowing the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States invested significant amounts of money in Azerbaijanâ€™s energy industry. Although Washington has been distracted by conflicts in the Islamic world, the geopolitical interests that led the United States to invest in Azerbaijanâ€™s energy sector remain, and Washington would like to have a say in the industryâ€™s development. With Russiaâ€™s resurgence in full swing, the United States would like to see Azerbaijan play a critical role in developing energy production and transportation systems that will allow European markets to diversify away from Russian energy supplies.â€

Stratfor analysts consider that if Russia and Azerbaijan were to forge an agreement leading Azerbaijan to focus on developing energy projects that do not interfere with Russiaâ€™s energy dominance, it would be a blow to U.S. interests in the region. The analysts consider that Baku pursues independent foreign policy.

â€œAzerbaijan is unlikely to commit itself fully to Russia or any other country, as Baku does not want the future of its energy industry beholden to one single player.â€