Azerbaijan’s policy in Caspian region mulled at US National Defense University
Azerbaijani ambassador to U.S. Elin Suleymanov spoke at the College of International Security Affairs at the National Defence University on 'Azerbaijan's politics in the Caspian Basin: prospects and challenges'.
While describing the impact of Azerbaijan's geographical location on the formation of the directions and nature of the country's foreign policy, the ambassador said that mutually beneficial relations between the regional countries are based on regional stability, the Azerbaijani embassy in the U.S. told Trend news agency on Friday.
Speaking about the political and strategic advantages of Azerbaijan's bordering with the Caspian Sea on the east, the ambassador referred to the possibilities of access to its rich energy resources. At present, the energy projects implemented as a result of national leader Heydar Aliyev's far-sighted policy are the basis of regional stability, Suleymanov said.
While informing the audience about the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil export pipeline, the ambassador called the project the most successful in the region, supported by the U.S.
The ambassador also spoke about current energy projects and in particular the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline (TANAP). While emphasizing the high priority of natural gas transportation, Suleymanov spoke about Azerbaijan's role in ensuring Europe's energy security.
While speaking about Azerbaijan active participation in combating terrorism, the ambassador mentioned the country's role in the activity within the Northern Distribution Network and stressed that more than 40 per cent of non-military goods supplied to Afghanistan pass through Azerbaijani territory.
After coalition forces are withdrawn from Afghanistan, the network will turn into a profitable trade corridor. As a result of attracting other regional countries, new opportunities will open for Afghanistan's economic and political development, he said. The network, which is an important part of the U.S. strategy called the New Silk Road, will be the guarantor of stability in the heart of Eurasia.
The main purpose of the U.S. National Defence University, founded in 1976, is to train military and civilian personnel and to assess the challenges of national and international security for the U.S. and foreign countries. The university which includes five colleges, has graduates in 80 countries.