In Geopolitics Today - Wednesday, October 13th
Azerbaijan and Iran Work to Diffuse Tense Standoff and United States Accuses Cambodia of Lacking Transparency
Azerbaijan and Iran Work to Diffuse Tense Standoff
Relations between Azerbaijan and Iran have been tense of late. Iranian ground forces launched military exercises near its border with Azerbaijan, putting on a display of military capabilities in protest of Baku’s deepening ties with Turkey and Israel. Tehran had called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces and “Sunni jihadists” from the region, while Baku denied that Turkish and Israeli troops were operating on its border with Iran. Since then, both Azerbaijan and Iran have sought to diffuse the tense situation through dialogue.
Following discussion between Baku and Tehran, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry announced an the intention of both sides of settling their differences through dialogue. Discussions held on October 12th between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Iran stressed the importance of “respecting the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty of the countries.” Statements made by both sides also recognised that recent rhetoric had harmed bilateral relations, with Tehran arguing that the two countries should “not provide opportunities for the enemies to disturb the two countries’ relations.”
The imposition of a road tax and checkpoints for Iranian trucks shipping goods to Armenia was another issue which damaged relations between the two. During the recent call, officials from both sides stressed the need for a negotiated settlement to the issues faced by Iranian truck drivers as they deliver goods to the Armenian capital. But there was little agreement on Baku’s military ties to Israel. Tehran has accused Azerbaijan of harbouring Israeli military personnel, which Baku rejected as a “totally baseless” claim.
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The US Accuses Cambodia of Lacking Transparency
Cambodia appears to welcome the rise of China in Asia while other states in the region remain on the fence. While some states in the region pursue a hedging strategy of economic engagement with China and security alignment with the United States, Cambodia has chosen to bandwagon with China. As Cambodia pursues a foreign policy closely aligned with Beijing, the US has accused Phnom Penh of lacking transparency about Chinese construction activities at a large naval base.
Cambodia's ties with the US have frayed in recent years as US pressure on Cambodia’s ruling party for its ties to China mount. Last year, Cambodia said it had demolished a US-funded facility at the Ream naval base to allow for an expansion of the naval facilities there. The United States protested, and said Cambodia had just a year earlier turned down US offers to repair the base. US pressure has intensified as Cambodia’s ties with Beijing become more apparent, with some US officials stating that any Chinese military presence at Ream would be in violation of Cambodia's constitution. Washington is adamant that Cambodia has not been fully transparent about the intent, nature, and scope of the Ream naval base project, as well as the role of China in its expansion.
Cambodia has repeatedly shrugged off reports that the naval base will host Chinese naval assets. Phay Siphan, Cambodia's government spokesperson, said that the presence of Chinese construction crews at Ream was merely a part of its development assistance program to Cambodia. “Our port is open to all when the construction is finished,” exclaimed Phay Siphan, who went on to say that Phnom Penh welcomes any help in the expansion of the port. If Cambodia does intend to host Chinese naval assets at Ream, such a move would be significant boost for China in a region where the United States has for many decades been the dominant power.
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