Expert: Russia interested in freezing of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict - COMMENT

Baku. 25 August. REPORT.AZ/ The only stimulus to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is the change of the actual situation on the line of contact. 

The Russian political scientist Nikita Golobokov said, commenting on the meeting of Russian and Armenian presidents Vladimir Putin and Serzh Sargsyan in Sochi, during which the aforesaid conflict was discussed.

“Similar meetings - Putin with Aliyev, Aliyev with Sargsyan, are held relatively. I do not think that any key solutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be reached at the meeting,” Golobokov stated.

“No qualitative changes are visible unlike April 2016,” expert said.

The political scientist considers that Russia is interested in the freezing of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict due to the proximity to its southern borders. “Russia sees the conflict as the heavy heritage of the 90s, and is interested in its freezing at any cost. There are no changes on the line of contact yet, unlike last year. There is no need to expect a breakthrough in negotiations,” Russian political scientist considers.

Speaking about the 6 principles of the resolution voiced by US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Richard Hoagland, the expert highlighted that nothing principle has been said: “It all has been discussed and voiced by the OSCE Minsk Group since 1995.”

Commenting on the appointment of Andrew Schofer on position of the US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Nikita Golobokov recalled that he had been engaged in resolution of the Cyprus problem.

“Presently, situation over North Cyprus is some ideal for the parties - everything is peaceful, the Greeks go to the Turkish side, the Turks go to the Greek side of the island, joint touristic excursions, there is no war, the negotiations are frozen, the status is uncertain. Apparently, Russia sees Nagorno-Karabakh as North Cyprus in the West; nevertheless, it will not be possible for some objective reasons,” says the political scientist.

According to him, there are no prerequisites on Nagorno-Karabakh for projecting a situation over North Cyprus.

“As it seems from Russia, the relations between the Russians and Ukrainians in the background of the events in Crimea and Donbass are warmer and closer than the relations between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis. Unfortunately, the degree of aggravation has reached the level when there is no other way except the military solution to the problem,” Golobokov reckons.

Along with it, the expert indicated that a powerful united group should be presented for the full deterrent of the conflict within the framework of the peacekeeping mission.

“If Russia wanted to carry out the peacekeeping mission in Karabakh, it would not arm one of the parties with very good weapons of its own production. Peacekeeping mission is an element when a mediator comes and reconciles the sides,” Golobokov said. According to him, in case with Africa or Serbia, the location of peacekeeping forces in the zone of the conflict would be efficient, but in case with Azerbaijan, that has a too strong army, such a step will not bring special benefit.