DONALD RUMSFELD VISIT TO BAKU AIMS AT COMPLETING TALKS ON DEPLOYMENT OF US MILITARY BASES IN AZERBAIJAN

US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is expected to visit Baku and meet with the Azerbaijani leadership on April 12. It’s the 3-rd visit of the US Secretary of Defense to Azerbaijan since 2003. “As far as I know the visit aims at coming to final decision on the issues considered during US Deputy Commander for the European Command Charles Wald’s call to Baku”, independent expert Uzeir Jafarov stated, Echo newspaper reported. “The matter undoubtedly concerns the deployment of the US military bases in Azerbaijan. This decision should be made on the highest political level, i.e by the Azerbaijani President and the Defense Secretary. Baku has already given consent on the issue, thus it only remains to co-ordinate some details. To all appearances Donald Rumsfeld is coming to clarify the terms. I am convinced the final decision will be made till mid-April and Azerbaijan’s answer will be positive”, Uzeir Jafarov resumed.