AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT SUPPORTS U.S. ANNOUNCEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000805

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/IR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT SUPPORTS U.S. ANNOUNCEMENT
ON IRAN; MFA ISSUES STATEMENT

REF: STATE 87682

Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JASON P. HYLAND PER 1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) Charge d'Affaires met with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev June 1 to deliver reftel points on Iran. President
Aliyev told Charge he would immediately instruct Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov to follow-up on our request that
the GOAJ issue a public statement welcoming the initiative.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement the same
day (see para 6).


2. (C) Calling it a "wise" and a very important move by the
U.S., Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan fully supported the U.S.
decision to become a full party in the EU-3 negotiations with
Iran if Iran met the conditions. He said that Azerbaijan is
extremely concerned with Iran's nuclear program and considers
it a matter of national security. Aliyev added that it is
important that the U.S. be part of the negotiation process
since it will create more opportunities for a peaceful
resolution.


3. (C) President Aliyev stated that he had raised Iran's
nuclear program with the Iranian president during the
Economic Cooperation Organization summit in Baku in early
May. The Iranian president told Aliyev that Iran had "burned
its bridges" (NOTE: Aliyev did not speculate on what exactly
the Iranian President meant by this.) and that Iran would
attack the place where any attack originated. Aliyev stated
that he had also raised the issue with the President of
Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Turkey, who were also
concerned with Iran's nuclear ambitions. Aliyev said that
Iran is not currently suffering from international isolation
since it maintains political and economic relations with many
Western countries, Russia, China and Southeast Asia, because
of Iran's large oil and gas reserves and strategic geographic
location. In addition, Iran maintains sophisticated defense
capabilities that are a threat to countries that are not
protected.


4. (C) Aliyev told Charge that he had discussed Iran's
nuclear program with French President Chirac during his visit
earlier this week to France, noting that the U.S. and EU were
now together part of the negotiation process. Aliyev said
that he shared U.S. concerns that Iran might use the
discussions to gain more time to advance its program and that
there needed to be clear evidence that Iran has completely
stopped its program and that the negotiations had been
successfully begun.


5. (C) Regarding the recent "explosive" unrest in northern
Iran by ethnic Azeri-Iranians, Aliyev told Charge that the
GOAJ has purposely maintained a low-key approach and that
officially it could not appear to be interfering in an
internal Iranian issue. He added that Azerbaijan did not
want to give Iran an excuse to blame it for the protests.
Aliyev noted that the protests had continued even after the
Government of Iran had apologized and closed the newspaper
that published the offending cartoon, indicating that the
offensive cartoon had exposed deeper problems among
Azeri-Iranians in Iran.


6. (C) Aliyev recognized that within Azerbaijan there was a
growing movement of political forces, public figures and
writers that were actively discussing the Iranian protests.
Aliyev remarked that when the World Azerbaijani Congress held
meetings in Baku this spring, many participants made comments
regarding Azerbaijan's ethnic ties to northern Iran. The
comments caused the Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, also an
ethnic Azeri, to demand an apology -- which Aliyev said the
GOAJ refused to do. He said the Iranian Ambassador
eventually calmed down and was only looking for a reason to
aggravate Azerbaijan-Iran relations. Aliyev concluded by
saying that Azerbaijan was concerned with Iran's aggressive
statements and policies but that Azerbaijan would not be
frightened by Iran, noting that as a friend of the United
States, "We will do what is necessary."


7. (U) Below is the statement by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on the recent U.S. proposal and Azerbaijan's position
on Iran's nuclear program.

Begin text.

We confirm, with regard to the ongoing discussions of the
situation around the Iranian nuclear program, Azerbaijan's
commitment to peaceful resolution of the issue, with an
understanding that every UN member-state has a sovereign
right to develop peaceful nuclear program in cooperation with

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the IAEA.

We welcome the recent U.S. proposal, which can create a good
opportunity to find a diplomatic solution to the issue.

We underscore the necessity to strengthen the stability and
security in the region of South Caucasus and the Caspian and
urge all parties to abstain from confrontational moves and
pursue constructive engagement.

June 01, 2006

End text.
HYLAND