Robert Gates has finished his visit to Azerbaijan, and beyond the obvious discussions of Baku's role in the Northern Distribution Network, Gates highlighted the potential of new security cooperation on the Caspian Sea:
We talked about the Caspian maritime security situation, what we might be able to do. We've already helped them there with several tens of millions of dollars, boats and -- radars and capabilities.
We looked at more exercises. We looked at additional things we could do together -- intelligence sharing and so on.
The reference in the first paragraph is to Caspian Guard, a program earlier last decade that aimed to give Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan a joint ability to protect their oil and gas facilities in the sea, but which Pentagon officials seem to try to keep their distance from these days, apparently viewing it as not having accomplished much. But anyway, will be interesting to see what eventually emerges from this -- could the NDN be bringing about a new impetus to U.S. Caspian security efforts?
Joshua Kucera, a senior correspondent, is Eurasianet's former Turkey/Caucasus editor and has written for the site since 2007.
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