On November 22, the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdoğan made an official visit to Russia. There are analyses that much depends on this visit, and, especially, there are predictions that as Turkey had asked the Swiss authorities to facilitate in the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it will also remind the Russian authorities about their own good ‘requirements’ regarding Nagorno-Karabakh issue. And, Turkey has a lot to expect from Russia on this issue.
Aravot.am asked Ruben Mehrabyan, the expert of “Center for Political and International Studies”, what to expect from Russia. He answered, “In any case, whoever offers Russia, Russia interests proceeds from the perception of their neighborhood and from the image on their role in RF. Consequently, I do not think that something is changed here. RF has provoked the Karabakh conflict to be able to maintain its influence in the region. RF will go for the settlement of the conflict only when the settlement will lead to further enhancement of RF’s impact and role. Otherwise, it will not go for settlement.”
To the question in what case Russia’s role will further increase, Mr. Mehrabyan responded as follows, “I imagine as follows that the international peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh will be Russians, and also, Azerbaijan will be in the orbit of Russian, although the impact of Russia on Azerbaijan is already much, however, it does not decide the policy of Azerbaijan. But, in this regional strategy, Armenia has become a tool and a support for Russia.”
To the question whether the reason is more in shortcomings available in the foreign policy of Armenia, or such disposition of state-of-affairs, Mehrabyan answered as follows, “Foreign policy is the continuation of the internal one, and, in general, result of political immaturity of authorities, lack of sense of statehood, greediness, and avidity.”
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Rumors are circulated that Turkey, on the other hand, has a far-reaching desires to regulate Armenian-Turkish relations by 2015, but only if Armenia “gets out of the occupied territories.” We asked whether rapid development and outcome of events is possible, Mr. Mehrabyan said, “I do not think that it is easily soluble matter and will lead to rapid change. As for Turkey’s role, it is practicing quite non-constructive policy in the region, and somewhere even under its own inertia, which has been formed back in 1990s. Turkey has closed not only the Armenian-Turkish, but also Armenian-NATO border in exchange for the Russian base. I do not think that it is in the interests of Turkey.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
