10 February 2009
BBC Monitoring Service, Yeni Musavat, Echo

The Azerbaijani "authorities are seeking an access to the new US administration", the opposition daily Yeni Musavat said on 10 February.

In a comment on a visit by US President Barack Obama's [former] election campaign manager David Plouffe to Azerbaijan on 9 February, the daily said: "It seems that the aim pursued while organizing Plouffe's visit [to Azerbaijan] is to create close ties between the Azerbaijani government and the Obama administration. Because the [Azerbaijani] authorities' close ties with the White House ceased after Bush's tenure ended."

Yeni Musavat added that despite Obama's instruction, which he issued immediately after taking office, on preventing the impact of lobbyists on his administration, "his team's chief strategist has started lobbying to mend ties between the Azerbaijani government and the US administration". Yeni Musavat added that although Baku ignored the US criticism over the rights violations and human rights, it was interested in building close ties with the USA as soon as possible.

"Because it is still not known how Obama's policy on Azerbaijan will be and there are such opinions that the oil factor will no longer be a key issue in ties," the daily added.

The report noted that "Plouffe, who was invited [to Baku] to make a speech as an NGO representative at a conference and paid a visit of 'personal nature', was received at a fairly high level, that is by the [Azerbaijani] parliament speaker and the president".

In an interview with the Ekho newspaper, pro-government political analyst and the head of the Political Innovations and Technologies Centre, Mubariz Ahmadoglu, said that "Plouffe's arrival in Azerbaijan may well be connected to preparations for the US president's visit to our country".

The expert added that one should not underestimate such an opportunity as Azerbaijan was one of the main regional players.

Political analyst Rasim Agayev told Ekho if "to assume that he is linked with Obama's programme directives on establishing dialogue with the Muslim world, then the fact that he intends to start this process from Azerbaijan makes an emphasis on these intentions".

The analyst added that Obama intended to increase the US impact on the Caucasus and that in this connection, Obama noted Azerbaijan's particular significance as a leading regional state.

"This speaks about the impending aggravation of rivalry and competition between the superpowers for the impact on the Caucasus. One may assume that it has just started gaining momentum," Rasim Agayev said.

[In remarks broadcast by commercial Azad Azarbaycan TV channel at 1000 gmt 11 Feb 09, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse said in English with overlaid Azeri translation that David Plouffe is visiting Azerbaijan as a private citizen and that there is no a secret mission in the visit.]