Baku, April 30 (AZERTAC). A delegation of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM) is in the United States. On the first day of the visit the delegation participated in several conferences and held some meetings.

The conference on “Iran-Azerbaijan relations and strategic competition in the Caucasus” was opened by director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Andrew Kuchins and SAM director Farhad Mammadov.

The first panel on “Current dynamics of Iran-Azerbaijan relations” was addressed by SAM director Farhad Mammadov, official of the Center Heydar Mirza, member of Azerbaijan parliament Asim Mollazade and adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute Alex Vatanka. The second panel on “Iran-Azerbaijan relations: Regional and international implications” heard reports by Liu Xiang and editor-in-chief of Turkish Policy Quarterly magazine Nigar Goksel.

The conference on the “Southern energy corridor: a geostrategic game changer?” was held in the Brookings Institution and opened by TUSIAD senior fellow Kemal Kirisci and deputy director of SAM Gulshan Pashayeva.

The conference`s first panel on “TANAP and its implications for Europe” was addressed by spokesman of Azerbaijan`s Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev, principal research fellow of SAM Gulmira Rzayeva, Director of Energy Security, Brookings Institution Charley Ebinger.

Speakers at the second panel on “The Southern Energy Corridor’s potential to advance security and development in South Caucasus and Caspian regions” included Brenda Shaffer, visiting researcher of the Georgetown University`s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, Adnan Vatansever, Nonresident Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, Rovshan Ibrahimov, head of Foreign Policy Analysis Department at the Center for Strategic Studies of Azerbaijan.

Head of department of SAM Vusal Qasimli has held a meeting in Peterson University. He spoke of the policy in Azerbaijan to diversify and modernize economy. The discussions also focused on prospects for cooperation between Peterson University and SAM.

Another meeting was held in Atlantic Council where US-Azerbaijan relations and regional processes were discussed.

The visit of the SAM delegation will last till May 8 and feature 20 conferences and meetings in 20 think tanks and universities of the United States.