Azeri press gripped by oil boom

Oil remains divisive for Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan's press considers the implications of Wednesday's opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC), which will export oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean.

Pro-government and opposition newspapers are divided on the legacy of late President Heydar Aliyev and his predecessor Abulfaz Elcibay. Some commentators hope the pipeline will spur political change in Azerbaijan and a settlement of the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia.

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Oil is being pumped into the pipeline. This is a triumph for Azerbaijan's oil strategy, which was prepared by the great leader Heydar Aliyev and started with the signing of the Contract of the Century on 20 September 1994.

Yeni Azarbaycan - pro-government

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Everybody understands that HE DID IT. Heydar Aliyev resembles a wise gardener who plants a garden for people without being sure that he will reap its fruits. Yesterday's event was one of those fruits.

Markaz - pro-government

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Azerbaijani oil, which has become a handicap for all Azerbaijanis, will finally reach world markets. But the project's original ideologist, the late Abulfaz Elcibay, and the late Heydar Aliyev, who manipulated the project to build his own empire, did not live to witness the event.

Bizim Yol - opposition

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The Aliyevs' fond illusions about this project were linked to the expectation that the pipeline would force the USA to turn a blind eye to despotism. But the USA's strong support for democratic processes worldwide and explicit signs that it does not plan to "sacrifice democracy for oil" have undermined this theory. Bush destroyed the Aliyevs' illusion with his congratulatory letter, in which he did not forget to mention that he considers the BTC a means of strengthening democratic norms in the region.

Azadliq - opposition

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It is time to draw several conclusions. First, the region's move to Western - and especially US - control is now virtually irreversible. Second, it is not worth considering a military solution to the Karabakh conflict. The US will never accept a resumption of hostilities, which could endanger the operation of the BTC pipeline. Third, it is important to realise that the launch of the BTC means that Baku can no longer use oil to bargain with the West, especially the US, particularly where the country's democratisation is concerned.

Zerkalo - independent

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This project is also very important for resolving the deadlocked Karabakh conflict. This is the most important factor that the BTC will bring for Azerbaijan. Since the resolution of regional conflicts is crucial for the pipeline's security and sustainability, the major player in the project, the US, will be more active in dealing with the Karabakh conflict. This is likely to expedite a solution to the conflict.

Yeni Qafqaz - pro-government

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