- The interest of the US in the countries in South Caucasus consisted in the establishment of democracy which presumes a behavior and development in compliance with the principles and values of the Western world. Democracy is a universal means which ensures the harmony of the converging interests of the superpower, regional actors and individual countries. Living by civilized rules ensures stability, predictability, and the satisfaction of the interests of all the layers of the society. Such a system safeguards the interests of both transnational companies, and economic actors at regional and local levels. Such a system will not overburden the USA, as a superpower, with expenses to ensure the security of the military in the long term. Otherwise, the USA will not be able to tolerate the burden of the responsibility in terms of the preservation of the balance and stability in the region, which they have assumed and have been bearing ever since the collapse of the USSR. On the whole this has to do not only with South Caucasus, for the region is only part of the global project.      

 

 

-  The main objective of Clinton’s visit to the region was the continuation of the dialogue on democracy that commenced at her first visit two years ago. The parties have synchronized their watches and discussed their further steps towards the development of democracy in the region. In fact, Clinton offered these developing countries to join the American and Brazilian initiative on the creation of open governments in the countries of the developing world. This initiative presumes the assumption of concrete obligations for building democratic and open societies, a sharp decline in the level of corruption and growth of transparency. Taking into consideration the fact that Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia will be offered the same projects, visions and prospects, this will mean that these countries will not be led by their own offences and ambitions, but rather by rules and laws which are prescribed by the American initiatives.  The region and particularly the two hostile countries will be moving from confrontation towards cooperation which will earn long term dividends for the peoples who have got tired of a long lasting conflict.  

 

 

-  The Iranian issue was there, but it was not the key one. The USA does not want any South Caucasian country to run ahead or lag behind the consolidated Western strategy with regard to changing the clerical regime in Iran with a democratic one. On the one hand, the countries could be asked to support the policy the USA is currently leading towards Iran and will be leading in the future. On the other hand, surely, Washington could outline the ways of ensuring the security of the South Caucasus countries in case there are any military or other actions on the part of Iran. 

 

 

- No matter how strange that is, on the eve of or even during any important visit or high profile negotiations, considerable military skirmishes take place between the military forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan, just as it happened a few months ago during the meeting of the Presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. This is how parties want to make clear that they are not prepared for peace negotiations today. The USA and other stakeholders understand that signal and only undertake steps to restrain the parties not to allow for the violation of the balance set. The USA is not currently prepared to move on to the stage of the resolution of Karabakh conflict, because other priority issues are there on agenda, for example the Syrian and Iranian issues. Washington perceives local military losses of the parties only as a sign of their unpreparedness and no more than that.