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İqtisadi və Siyasi Elmlər Jurnalı.
№ 4 (9) 2017
with the resolution of the conflict within the Minsk Group. Teheran claims
that only regional powers - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Russia
and Iran should take part in the solution of region‘s conflicts. Iran has
always opposed the West's presence in the region. In the opinion of
Tehran, the West is trying to undermine stability in the region and
strengthen its energy resources control. Tehran does not rule out the
possibility of use of NATO's military bases against Iran.
From a geopolitical point of view, the South Caucasus acts as a
battleground for various political forces.
According to some analysts, the essence of this struggle is related to
energy resources; other analysts stress that the conflicts in the South
Caucasus are conditioned by the collision of two geopolitical polar states -
Russia and the United States, or Russia and NATO [7]. As it became
known, after the collapse of the USSR economic advantages from the
Western countries directly influenced the new independent states of the
South Caucasus. At the same time, Russia's gradual compression has
begun. Western states regard the South Caucasus as a corridor for the
resources of the Caspian Sea, both by the critical energy market and by the
Russian side.
For example, the priority direction of the policy pursued by the United
States in the 1990s was the development of economic relations with the
new independent states of the South Caucasus. The main objective here
was to control the Caspian energy resources and ensure their transportation
to Europe. The United States has pursued an active policy in the region, as
the South Caucasus has a very favorable geographical position. Particular
attention was paid to the region's location near the Russian borders, as well
as
to the Middle East,
including Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan [5].
From this point of view, conflicts in the South Caucasus, on the one
hand, hamper Washington's intentions, while blocking the US regional
strategy. While this is a means of strengthening in the region, conflicts
cannot be resolved. It strives to actively participate in the process of
conflict resolution within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group as
well as with the conflicting parties.
As we have noted, the energy factor is one of the priorities in US
foreign policy. Obtaining unimpeded energy resources is one of the
primary issues of US national security. It's no secret that the US consumes
more energy than all other countries in the world. It demonstrates the US
dependence on external sources and the need to seek new ways to
implement energy policy. Therefore, it is not surprising that the control of