U.S. says new stage of security co-op launching with Azerbaijan
BAKU – The United States is launching a new stage of security cooperation with Azerbaijan to assist the resource-rich South Caucasus republic in protecting its energy resources in the Caspian Sea, US Ambassador in Baku Matthew Bryza has said.
"Azerbaijan already knows how to protect its national resources, but at any time developments posing potential unforeseen risks may occur, which would cause a problem," Bryza told reporters Saturday. "The U.S. has experience in this area, and we would like to share it."
Asked how Washington could assist Azerbaijan in safeguarding the U.S.-backed trans-Caspian pipeline linking Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan that will secure gas supplies for Europe, given that Iran and Russia do not support the project, Bryza said this was a "hypothetical" issue. He said US Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar pointed out during his recent visit to Baku that Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are independent and sovereign countries and are aware of how to protect and transport their energy resources.
"We hold in deep respect the independence of these countries, and, likewise, respect their decisions," Bryza said.
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