"Paramount importance of the South Caucasus in military-strategic plan made its economic importance secondary, however such a development of events contradicts interests of the countries in the region," Russian political scientist Alexander Krilov says. In his article titled "South Caucasus: bridgehead instead of capitalistic paradise" he underlines all the countries in the region are vitally interested in making the South Caucasus a key player in transit of energy resources from the Central Asia. "But because of the unsettled Nagorno Karabakh problem from the very beginning Armenia occurred out of the process of building energy corridors. As a result only Azerbaijan and Georgia can claim to the role of transit states. The Bush Administration thinks, it would be the best variant if Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia simultaneously access NATO. Official Tbilisi holds to such a perspective with enthusiasm and Baku with some stipulations (Azerbaijan demands first of all to withdraw Armenian troops from the Nagorno Karabakh and other "occupied" territories and bring it back under the jurisdiction of Azeri government)", the Russian political scientist writes.

He says, the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the unsettled Nagorno Karabakh conflict hinders realization of U.S. ideas in Caucasus. "Still the United States and his allies have not found mutually acceptable compromise between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In such conditions Washington refused from the plan to include the whole South Caucasus in NATO. Instead it is made clear that Washington is for Georgia's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization," says Krilov in his article published in "New Policy" web-site.