Russia will play a certain role in the South Caucasus, but no state should have an advantageous influence in the region, Jennifer Walsh, Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia at the US Defense Department, said at a conference marking the 20th anniversary of South Caucasian independence, Trend reports.
The conference was held at the Center for Strategic and International Research in Washington D.C.
The US official noted that they respect Azerbaijan's decision to cooperate with NATO and Georgia's willingness to join it. The security of the South Caucasus is based on its geographical distance from Iran. The region plays an important role in support of the military operation of NATO in Afghanistan. The region provides energy for Europe.
The region is a significant provider of energy to Europe. The US wants stability and settlement of conflicts, especially the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The Pentagon wants to reform military facilities, cooperation with NATO and security of energy infrastructure.
The US plans to settle the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, Justin Friedman, Director of the Directorate for the Caucasus and Regional Conflicts at the US State Department, said.
The US supports settlement of the Armenian-Turkish conflict and Georgian sovereignty.
The region has a crossing of Russian, Turkish and Iranian interests. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the South Caucasus Pipeline provided economic independence
