The strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the USA that is based on the mutual beneficial cooperation and trust has entered the next phase characterized with advanced level of political dialogue, expansion of cooperation in sphere of security, strengthening of commercial and economic relations. These epithets can be used to summarize the results of the official visit that llham Aliyev paid to Washington on 26-28 April. The first visit of Ilham Aliyev as the President of Azerbaijan to the USA was arranged and held on the highest level.

The official visit that the President of Azerbaijan paid to the USA last week opened a new stage in bilateral relations. The USA attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan because of a role that our country plays in the region that is a very significant one from geo-strategic point of view. The intensive development of Azerbaijan, its transformation into the regional leader and a fact that hardly one problem in this unstable region of our planet can be solved without this country’s participation predetermines increased attention of the USA towards cooperation with Azerbaijan. Last week Ilham Aliyev paid an official visit to the USA and this fact was in the center of attention of the American establishment. Ilham Aliyev met with well-known state political figures, representatives of diplomatic missions, the congressmen, top officials from the leading American NGOs and representatives of business elite of the USA. These meetings contributed a lot into expansion of cooperation and allowed the representatives of the American side realize availability of new perspectives of the Azerbaijan state’s development. It was not occasional that after the negotiations with Ilham Aliyev the President of the USA emphasized that this country is interested in close cooperation with Azerbaijan and the young leader of this state.

“This significant visit is almost completed. We have exchanged opinions on a number of key questions. It is very important that this advanced Islam country takes care of its people and proves that this country’s future is based on democracy. Mr. President I highly appreciate your efforts exerted in this direction and all that you have done for your nation ”, - George Bush declared after his meeting with the President of Azerbaijan.

Presidents of both countries discussed questions related to anti-terrorism struggle, democratic development, economic cooperation, democracy, human rights, power engineering’s security and security providing in the region. Questions on regional security included two key matters: the Armenian- Azerbaijan Nagorny Karabakh conflict solving and crisis on nuclear plans of Iran. A number of local and foreign observers informed that the question on the current situation in Iran would play a leading role within the framework of these negotiations. They told that if a Head of the USA suggests to the President of Azerbaijan to become a member of anti-Iranian coalition, it would lead to unsolved dilemma. “Azerbaijan is an ideal candidate to enter the anti- Iranian coalition that is formed by the United States. However Iran is a very important country for Azerbaijan as this country and Iran have very long common frontier line, and a big quantity of ethnic Azerbaijanians lives along this frontier. It means that it will be very difficult for Azerbaijan to stand apart of this dispute between the USA and Iran”, - informed BBC in he comments on the eve of a visit to the White House.

However the results of the Presidents’ negotiations didn’t confirm the pessimistic prognosis on a dilemma standing in front of Azerbaijan.

“Certainly we discussed situation in Iran. I assured the President that we are going to solve this problem by diplomatic and peaceful way”, - George Bush emphasized. The Azerbaijan President in his turn told that they did discuss neither coalition nor “any joint plans” on the Iranian crisis within the framework of these negotiations. He believes that this conflict will be solved by peaceful way. Azerbaijan as a neigbouring country is worried about this situation. Meanwhile we understand that this matter should be solved only by diplomatic way.”

The President of Azerbaijan in his speech on the sitting of a Council on Foreign Relations of the USA

Told about his country’s position on Iranian question and emphasized that Baku in no case will participate in any military operation against Iran if such step would be undertaken.

Side by side with this Azerbaijan is a close ally of the USA in the international antiterrorist struggle and is going to contribute into peace and security providing in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Our countries are allies in anti terrorist struggle. We have participated in this struggle before and would contribute into peace and security providing in the region in the future”, - told Ilham Aliyev. The President of the USA expressed his gratitude to Ilham Aliyev for this.

The next key question related to the Nagorny Karabakh conflict solving was one of the main topics of Ilham Aliyev negotiations with the President of American.

“I informed the President about the current situation with negotiations and unchangeable position of Azerbaijan. This conflict may be solved only in accordance with norms of the international law. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not a topic of these negotiations and will not be discussed in the future”, - told Ilham Aliyev. He emphasized that the Armenian military forces have occupied some part of the territory of Azerbaijan. Aliyev told that Azerbaijan has exerted a lot of efforts to solve this conflict by peaceful way. The official Baku is ready to guarantee security to ethnic Armenians who live in the Nagorny Karabakh. He confirmed that Azerbaijan is ready to grant to Nagorny Karabakh a high status of autonomy within the framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as other autonomies already existing in Europe. However we have one condition to be fulfilled – the Armenian military forces should be withheld from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. Then the President of Azerbaijan told that a Head of the USA promised to do his best and exert every effort required to support the just demands and fair position of Azerbaijan in this question and peaceful solving of this conflict.

However the USA are interested in peace and stability in this region nor less than we are”, - told Ilham Aliyev. A number of power engineering projects that has the priority importance for the regional policy and power engineering security of the USA are realized in the region. Some American companies have already invested about ten billion dollars in these projects. “Azerbaijan is a “key ally” and a “valuable partner” of the USA in this strategically important region”, - told George Bush. He told about a significant role that Azerbaijan plays in power engineering security providing in the region and in the world. “I highly appreciate position of the Azerbaijan President and the government directed at providing power engineering security. The role that Azerbaijan will play in this process is very significant”.

The main oil pipeline Baku- Tbilisi- Ceyhan will be put into exploitation in the nearest future. Then a scope of construction works on the South Caucasian gas pipeline Baku- Tbilisi -Erzarum will be completed. All these events will clearly demonstrate a particular importance that the USA attaches to our country.

Then we should remind one more point of cooperation between the USA and Azerbaijan that has been discussed within the framework of Washington meetings with Ilham Aliyev participation –we mean democratic development.

On this meetings Ilham Aliyev demonstrated his will to continue democratic development of Azerbaijan. Mutual interest of both countries in the democratic processes was a leitmotiv of a meeting between Ilham Aliyev and George Bush.

“America tries to contribute into further expansion of democracy in the region. We also would like that the democratic processes in the region including Azerbaijan intensively develop. We don’t have any misunderstanding or disagreements in connection with all above mentioned. I believe that there is room to strengthen our relations of strategic partnership in the future. We are partners, we are in the alliance with America and will keep this position in the future”, - summarized Ilham Aliyev.