Expert: Main theme of meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran will be "North-South" project - OPINION

Baku. 8 August. REPORT.AZ/ Theme of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue will be raised during the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia, but unlikely to be dominant.

Report informs, this was stated by Azerbaijani political scientist Ilgar Velizade, commenting on the upcoming meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran on August 8 in Baku.

"The meetings, to be held in Baku on August 8, based on the interests of three parties - Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran - in the context of the existing five-year agreement, in particular in the development of the " North-South corridor " - I.Velizade said.

He recalled that the agreement on the project was signed back in 2010, but each time different circumstances did not allow this agreement to be implemented in full.

"With the advent of Rouhani and change in the situation around Iran's nuclear program, as well as the reorientation of Russia on cooperation with the countries of the East, an active search for Moscow's new partners in the region has forced Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran to look at the situation differently and to speed up the project" - said the expert.

Touching upon the benefits for all countries, the analyst pointed out that, in particular, this project is of great importance to Russia because it allows to reach Indian Ocean countries through Azerbaijan and Iran - " These are also Arab countries, and India and Pakistan, which, incidentally, has recently entered the SCO. "

Increased cooperation with this region, especially in the current circumstances, acquires fundamental importance for Russia. Therefore, the main theme of meeting of Presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran will be "North-South" project", - said I. Velizade.

Speaking about Iran, he emphasized that today, Tehran needs communications and markets.

For Iran, in coordination of favorable transit conditions it is necessary to go to the European markets, to the same Russian market by shortest way - through the railways of Azerbaijan", - added the analyst.

According to him, for Azerbaijan this project is beneficial in terms of development of transport potential, as well as the expansion of trade relations with the countries of the Arab world through Iran amid intensification of relations with the countries of the Persian Gulf.

"This project has a very specific, practical economic interests of all countries. All the countries have recently experienced a sharp drop in oil prices, as a result their oil revenues declined. A need for external and other income arose. Therefore, the project is profitable for all three countries, "- said the expert.

However, he continued, for the full implementation of "North-South" project there must be political conditions, one of which serves stability in the region, in particular, to minimize the risk of terrorism either in Azerbaijan or North Caucasus or Iran.

"The theme of the Karabakh conflict settlement, which will be raised by the Azerbaijani side, as the potential risks for the implementation of projects will also be considered, but will not be dominant. In the context of ensuring the security of the project, it will become obvious, "- said I.Velizade.

According to him, in the course of the upcoming meeting of the presidents of Turkey and Russia next week in St.Petersburg topic of settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will also be discussed in the context of relations of the countries to existing problems and conflicts in region.

"The theme of Karabakh will also be in first place during the meeting of the presidents of Russia and Armenia, since the current internal political situation in Armenia is largely due to its defeat in the April events.

Without a definition of the relationship between Russia and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue it is difficult to talk about the nature of the interaction between the two countries in a large run.

Russia is interested in resolving the Karabakh conflict, as it releases Armenia, and in the case of closer relations with Turkey lifting of the blockade of Armenia will help to link the project "North-South" with Turkey through Armenia ", - concluded the analyst.