Azernews.Az

An Azerbaijani party leader has called for reclaiming the share of US oil companies in the contracts on developing fields in the country’s sector of the resource-rich Caspian Sea.
MP Fazayil Aghamali, the chairman of pro-government Ana Vatan party, said in parliament Tuesday that Azerbaijan has always stood by the United States, but the U.S., on the contrary, is adhering to an unfair stance toward Azerbaijan. In particular, on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, the U.S. is supporting Armenia, which occupies part of Azerbaijani territory, the lawmaker opined.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in conflict for two decades. Armenia has been occupying over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory since the early 1990s. The U.S., along with Russia and France, co-chairs the OSCE Minsk Group, which is working to reach a peaceful settlement to the dispute.
Aghamali noted that Azerbaijan opened up its doors to US companies in 1994, when the production sharing agreement (PSA) known as "the Contract of the Century" was signed in Baku. Six US companies joined the consortium which was established to jointly develop the giant Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field in the Caspian. Since then, American energy firms have produced over 36 million tons of profit oil, which implies billions of dollars in revenues. However, the U.S. continues aiding Armenia and Upper Garabagh Armenians with the money it is earning from Azerbaijan, the party leader said.
"I believe that the Azerbaijani government, taking this into account, should take back the US companies’ stakes and call off its cooperation with these companies."
A number of lawmakers representing the ruling Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party (YAP) called on the public to speak out against the policy on Garabagh settlement recently pursued by Washington.
"The current US position, as a co-chairing country [of the Minsk Group], which has assumed a mission of settling the Upper Garabagh conflict, does not comply with the nature of relations between this country and Azerbaijan," YAP deputy chairman Ali Ahmadov told the parliamentary session.
According to him, the U.S. is providing financial aid to Armenia, to the detriment of Azerbaijan’s interests. Specifically, Ahmadov criticized recent US policies on the issue of reopening the Turkey-Armenia border, which was shut by Ankara in 1993 due to Armenian occupation of a part of Azerbaijan’s territory and claims on the World War I-era "genocide." He said Washington is defying Ankara’s stated position that the border would open after progress is made in resolving the conflict between Azerbaijan, Turkey’s ally, and Armenia.
"This step taken by the U.S. is not in line with its mediating mission. This is unbecoming the image of a state which asserts itself as a beacon of democracy in the world," Ahmadov said.
He emphasized that the Azerbaijani parliament should put forth a tough stance on the issue. "The Azerbaijani public, and political parties in particular, are to openly voice protest at this policy of the U.S."
Political commentator Azer Rashidoglu says those issuing strongly-worded statements in parliament should keep in mind that the U.S. is not a small country, but a superpower, therefore, "declaring a diplomatic war" on it could have adverse ramifications.
According to Rashidoglu, a senior US official is due to arrive in Baku soon to demand an explanation following the tough rhetoric, and if no understanding is reached, tension will escalate further. "And this would be very much like a heavyweight world champion sparring with an amateur boxer."*