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Former US Ambassador to NATO: â€œThere is always the possibility of destabilization â€“ whether it is Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, Ossettia, or elsewhere in the Caucasusâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

10 September 2011 09:12 (UTC +04:00)

Washington. Isabel Levine â€“ APA. Former US Ambassador to NATO and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Volker is on his way to Azerbaijan, next week. Mr. Volker, who currently serves as senior fellow and managing director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins Universityâ€™s School of Advanced International Studies, will be in Baku, on Wednesday, September 14. In his pre-visit interview with APAâ€™s Washington DC correspondent Ambassador Volker described the visit and shared his view on some of the regional developments.

- Why are you visiting Baku at this time?

- I am helping an educational institution â€“ the Legislative Leadership Institute, which is part of the American College of Dublin, Ireland â€“ find international partners for its Masters Degree programs. I believe that Azerbaijan could be a fascinating place for Members of Parliament and state legislatures to visit as part of their Masters degree studies, and I believe it would be a tremendous benefit for Azerbaijan to expose these kinds of future leaders to everything this country has to offer. So it should be a win-win, and Iâ€™m hoping to help both sides here make the right connections. And itâ€™s also a great chance to visit my friend Matt Bryza, who is a fantastic representative of the United States here in Baku.

- Let us ask some questions about the regional developments. Just recently, the South Caucasus countries commemorated the third anniversary of the last war in the region. Today many local analysts question whether the stability in the region is strong and if there is any possibility of destabilization?

- The truth is that until these issues are finally and truly resolved, there is always the possibility of destabilization â€“ whether it is Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, Ossettia, or elsewhere in the Caucasus. Thatâ€™s why it is so important for the governments of the region to stay focused on efforts to reach settlements, and to continue to press forward on domestic political reform and economic opportunity. The more successful the countries in the region are in terms of freedom and prosperity, the more easily the lingering conflicts will be resolved.

- Should the South Caucasus countries look for their stability and protection in NATO? Is there any possibility for them to integrate into it?

- Countries that join NATO need to be security contributors even more than they are security consumers. NATOâ€™s doors are always open.
But it takes strong democracies, able to contribute to the security of NATO as whole, to be able to walk through those open doors. In the short-term, therefore, it is the process of reform, stabilization, and resolving long-standing conflicts that will provide the most security. Over time, success in those areas will make NATO membership more likely, and thus help guarantee such stability for the very long-term.

- There is no doubt that Russia still considers the region under it influence. Do you think the US and Russia can anyhow cooperate in that region?

- In principle, the US and Russia ought to be able to find ground for cooperation in the Caucasus. We support democracy, peace, human development, anti-terrorism, and anti-narcotics efforts, for example. But to the extent Russia believes it has a special â€œdroit-de-regardâ€ over the Caucasus, we are also bound to disagree. The United States believes in the rights of the people and states of the Caucasus themselves, and does not agree with the assertion of a Russian â€œsphere of influence.â€

- What long-term prospects do you see for the frozen conflicts, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, what do you think is the next step in NK?

- Lingering, long-term conflicts serve no oneâ€™s interests. They depress economic activity and investment. They perpetuate fear and uncertainty among local populations.
They create spaces in which criminal activity, drugs and human trafficking, and all manner of other of societal ills can flourish. It is therefore in the interest of every government, every leader, and every citizen â€“ regardless of ethnicity, religion, or identity â€“ to work to overcome these lingering conflicts.
I have long felt that the elements of a solution for Nagorno-Karabakh have been on the table for some time. It takes courageous political leadership to act in the long-term interests of the people of the region, when short-term fears and grievances would stand in the way.

- More generally, do you see any major changes in the South Caucasus this year?

- Unfortunately, at this state, I am not predicting much change in the South Caucasus this year. Conflicts are indeed embedded, Russiaâ€™s occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossettia will continue well beyond the Sochi Olympics, N-K does not seem to be moving, and the United States is distracted with domestic politics and a bad economy. So it is difficult to predict change. That said â€“ this creates a tremendous window of opportunity for leadership within the region, and I hope that leaders there seize this moment.