Political analyst: Real steps will be taken in 2018 for Karabakh conflict settlement

Baku. 25 December. REPORT.AZ/ Although no significant progress has been made in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in 2017, it has yielded tangible results and showed how foolish and impracticable was to keep status quo".

Azerbaijani political analyst Tofig Abbasov told Report, commenting on perspectives of the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2018 and the results of the work done in this area current year.

According to him, change in situation regarding the status quo in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict occurred in August 2014, when intense battles took place on the contact line and the Azerbaijani side strengthened some positions by showing change in the balance of forces to the enemy: "In April 2016, during the "four-day war", Azerbaijan has managed to liberate more than 2,000 hectares of its territories, including Lele Tepe height and Jojug Marjanli village. Restoration of the infrastructure and return of residents to their permanent homes is being implemented in Jojug Marjanli".

"I think that there will be real steps towards the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2018, when presidential elections will be held in Russia, Armenia will switch to the parliamentary system and, moreover, presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan. In any case, preparatory work is underway", Abbasov said.