US-Azerbaijan Relations, 2009-10: A Summary

You don’t need me for this one.  Take a read of Arzu‘s recent article in Osservatorio.  Money quote:

Much has happened over the last year, including Azerbaijani authorities cancelling joint military exercises with the US, threatening to evict Western oil-companies, directing local state-controlled media to attack America’s image and, most importantly, threatening to shut a transit route to Afghanistan (according to some estimates, about one-quarter of all military supplies bound for Afghanistan come through Azerbaijan). Nevertheless, Washington still succumbs to the pressure, dismissing shortcomings existing in the country while claiming that “a lot of progress” is being made towards the establishment of a free and democratic society….

…as a result, independent analysts interpreted that the use of the term “progress” by US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, during her most recent visit was mere support to the current authorities rather than a step forward in assisting Azerbaijan to build democracy.