AZERBAIJAN: PRESIDENT DISCUSSES TURKEY-ARMENIA,

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 BAKU 000850 SIPDIS FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER AM TU RU AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: PRESIDENT DISCUSSES TURKEY-ARMENIA, AFGHANISTAN CONTRIBUTION AND BLOGGERS TRIAL REF: BAKU 00848 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Donald Lu for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a notably cordial meeting with DAS Tina Kaidanow, President Aliyev emphasized a long record of cooperation ) energy, security, counter-terrorism, regional development ) and said that Azerbaijan fully expects Turkey to hold to its promise not to ratify the rapprochement protocols until there is "a serious breakthrough" on Nagorno-Karabakh. He suggested that Azerbaijan, too, could open borders with Armenia if Yerevan were to withdraw from occupied territories. The President was forward leaning on a battalion-sized contribution to Afghanistan and welcomed an assessment team in the near-term, saying that he would discuss this with the Defense Minister. DAS Kaidanow thanked Aliyev for recent support on counter-terrorism, asked for final New Embassy Compound approval and requested the President's assistance on Embassy security concerns. Kaidanow raised the importance of the outcome of the trial of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, the two bloggers imprisoned by the Azerbaijani government; Aliyev criticized what he characterized as undue international attention to the case, but did not speculate on the outcome. End Summary. ¶2. (S) President Aliyev, who had met with Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu for two and a half hours the previous day, opened the meeting cordially, stating that U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relations had developed constructively, particularly in the areas of energy, security, counter-terrorism and regional development. He noted that he had discussed recent regional political developments by telephone with President Obama and Secretary Clinton, and was working in a multinational context on further cooperation with NATO. DAS Kaidanow noted that the U.S. Government wants to continue the positive trend of U.S.-Azerbaijani cooperation and to open additional lines of communication. She thanked the President for important cooperation on counter-terrorism, including the recent sentencing of Ali Mohammad Karaki and Ali Hussein Najmaddin. President Highlights Economic Success ... -------------- ¶3. (C) At home, the President said, Azerbaijan has experienced rapid economic development, while stabilizing the political and social environment. Azerbaijan, he said, is now "developed, modern, secular, stable and prosperous." The GOAJ's economic team is working "to improve competitiveness," and economic diversification is taking place. Under its 2009-2013 five-year socio-economic development plan, Azerbaijan has identified education and telecommunications/IT as priorities. On the economy, the President said, "we have no worries." ... While Expressing Concern about Nagorno-Karabakh -------------- ¶4. (C) There is no present economic threat to Azerbaijan, the President said. Rather, the threat to Azerbaijan is external political instability. The regional picture is difficult, Aliyev said, with instability or uncertainty in the North Caucasus, Iran and Georgia. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and Armenia's "unconstructive" approach, Aliyev said, is that greatest threat to Azerbaijan. This year had been slated to be the "year of the breakthrough" on NK, with Minsk Group-led negotiations coming to a close. In Chisinau, however, Armenian President Sargsian had not been constructive, choosing instead "to re-open issues that had already been addressed and resolved." In the private meeting between the two presidents and Russian President Medvedev in Chisinau, Aliyev said, Medvedev had lectured Sargsian at length, admonishing the Armenian President's backtracking. However, Aliyev claimed, Medvedev's efforts had not succeeded in overcoming the Armenian preference "to stall." Failure to Resolve NK Bad for Regional Stability -------------- --- BAKU 00000850 002 OF 004 ¶5. (C) The President said that he had met with Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu October 23 on the margins of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation meetings in Baku. Davutoglu had repeated Ankara's promise not to ratify the Turkey-Armenia protocols ahead of a "serious breakthrough" on Nagorno-Karabakh. "Azerbaijan believes that Turkey will keep this promise," President Aliyev said. ¶6. (C) Azerbaijan's population is "100 percent opposed" to Turkey-Armenia normalization without progress on NK, the President said. Normalization with the status quo on NK is not an option for Azerbaijan, as it would be seen in Baku as a reward for Armenia. Armenia became "too confident" after Turkey-Armenia rapprochement talks were revealed publicly earlier this year. That led, the President said, to obstruction and delays in the Nagorno-Karabakh talks, and a lack of progress in the Minsk Group process. Now, the President suggested, the tables have at least partially turned. ¶7. (C) The President stated that in Azerbaijan's view "a failure to resolve Nagorno-Karabakh is bad for regional stability." Normalization without NK progress could lead to a split between Azerbaijan and Turkey, with implications for Central Asia and energy policy. These sorts of developments could be negative for Georgia, too. Aliyev suggested that an Armenian withdrawal from "occupied territories" could lead to an opening of Azerbaijan's border with Armenia and the re-establishment of "all lines of communication." (Note: the President presumably was speaking about the five occupied territories south and east of Karabakh itself, and not including Lachin and Kelbajar.) ¶8. (C) DAS Kaidanow told Aliyev that Washington understands his views, and that the U.S. Government recognizes in a practical sense that Turkey is unlikely to ratify the protocols without some progress on NK. The U.S. has demonstrated its commitment to moving the Minsk Group process forward, notably by appointing Ambassador Robert Bradtke, a senior diplomat, to work together with the other co-chairs in facilitating a settlement. However, to make progress and keep up the momentum of the Nagorno-Karabakh talks, the tempo of meetings between Armenia and Azerbaijan would need to increase. She strongly recommended President Aliyev agree to meet with President Sargsyan again in the near-term, once the co-chairs had agreed on a program of meetings and discussions for the coming weeks. She also noted that the constant public rhetoric from Turkey, at Azerbaijani behest, linking the Turkey-Armenia normalization process with the NK negotiations was having the effect of discouraging Sargsian from making any moves that would be perceived as Armenian &concessions,8 thus impeding progress in the talks. Opportunity to Advance TEP, Security Cooperation -------------- ¶9. (S) DAS Kaidanow thanked President Aliyev for Azerbaijan's participation in coalition efforts in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and said she understood Azerbaijan was weighing options to enlarge its presence in Afghanistan. Kaidanow encouraged the possibility of a battalion-sized commitment to ISAF. Such a commitment by Azerbaijan, she said, would help strengthen the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship, and help Azerbaijan further prove itself to be a reliable partner. A EUCOM assessment team would like to visit Azerbaijan November 14-20. ¶10. (S) "We are ready," the President said, referring to the assessment team. Aliyev said that he had instructed the Ministry of Defense to be constructive. (Note: MOD has maintained that MFA approval is necessary. Following the meeting with the President, DAS Kaidanow met with FM Mammadyarov, who was supportive, but less enthusiastic. See septel.) The President said that he hoped that further participation in Afghanistan would open the door for Azerbaijan to purchase weapons from the United States, or at least remove restrictions such as FSA Section 907. President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is already buying weapons abroad, regardless of USG limitations. "But we can't advance BAKU 00000850 003 OF 004 to NATO standards with Russian guns," the President said. Lamenting again Section 907, the President suggested that it is time "to move beyond" this restriction. In the U.S. Congress, he said, members should understand that being a friend of Armenia does not mean being an enemy of Azerbaijan. Importance of Outcome of Bloggers Trial -------------- ¶11. (C) DAS Kaidanow raised the trial of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, accused this past summer of "hooliganism" after two assailants, who were immediately released, beat them up in a local restaurant. The trial, DAS Kaidanow said, has garnered much international attention and was the topic of considerable focus in Washington. Such developments, she noted, make it difficult to build the bilateral relationship further. President Aliyev noted that the two bloggers are not members of the opposition, and were not widely known before the incident. Every day in Baku, he said, bar fights take place and they are settled "without international involvement." In this case, there have been "inappropriate comments from diplomats" and "irritating expressions from abroad." Meanwhile, the regional imbalance continues, with "different approaches to Armenia and Georgia." If not for this, the President noted, perhaps the cases would have been resolved long ago. DAS Kaidanow pointed out that the USG was very serious about democracy concerns in Azerbaijan and other countries in the region, so much so that in Armenia we had withheld $50 million in Millenium Challenge Corporation funding because Yerevan could not meet the relevant democracy standards. Aliyev did not comment further, nor did he speculate on the outcome of the Emin and Adnan trial, which continues this week. UN Resolution Not Timely -------------- ¶12. (C) DAS Kaidanow raised Azerbaijan's proposal to submit another resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh to the United Nations. Azerbaijan's last resolution passed in March 2008, but Minsk Group co-chair countries voted against it. Kaidanow warned that introduction of a new resolution now, given the flurry of activity now surrounding Turkey-Armenia rapprochement and Minsk Group talks, would be counterproductive. President Aliyev did not appear to be familiar with the initiative and referred DAS Kaidanow to MFA, though he agreed that such resolutions could have a problematic effect. "We're Committed" Not to Release Hezbollah Terrorist Karaki -------------- -------------- ¶13. (S) DAS Kaidanow thanked President Aliyev for his government's cooperation on counterterrorism and, in particular, the conviction and sentencing of Hezbollah terrorists Ali Mohammad Karaki and Ali Hussein Najmaddin. The President said that he was committed to keeping these terrorists in prison. He stressed that this has not been easy. He said that the Iranians had been putting "permanent pressure" on him to release these terrorists, including directly from the Iranian President, Deputy Foreign Minister, and the Chief of Presidential Administration. He also noted that Iran had detained several Azerbaijanis in Iran in retaliation (note: we understand these Azerbaijanis were subsequently released). He then cryptically said, "There are too many forces behind these people. It is a bit early, but someday maybe I will disclose who else is pressuring us. It is not only the Iranians." President "Ready, Supportive" on NEC, but no Movement -------------- --- ¶14. (C) In the context of common counter-terrorism efforts, DAS Kaidanow also raised Embassy security issues related to police protection at existing facilities and weapons permits for bodyguards, and pressed the President for final approval of the New Embassy Compound. Charge explained that the Ministry of Interior had recently removed police protection from the Embassy annex and Chief of Mission Residence, demanding payment for services, and further indicated it BAKU 00000850 004 OF 004 would deny renewals for the weapons permits. President Aliyev insisted that the GOAJ is "ready and supportive" on the NEC, but pointed out ongoing differences in the lease structure related to "indexation." He promised to instruct MIA to be constructive on police protection and weapons permits. ¶15. (U) DAS Kaidanow had cleared this message. LU