Referring to the possible change of the US policy towards the South Caucasus, Alexander Rahr said that Tillerson was quite engaged in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution and the US diplomatic engagement in the negotiations of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict did not change during his office in the position of the US Secretary of State. “But I think that the new Secretary of State would stand farther from the issues of the South Caucasus and Karabakh conflict, taking the US President Trump’s indifferent positioning towards the whole of this and his wish to concentrate on the US issues and the US development into consideration. Pompeo is expected to justify Trump’s expectations, inasmuch as he might be said goodbye if he continues keeping the traditional American policy, keeping Trump from the steps not thought of beforehand, as Tillerson did,” explained Rahr.
He is convinced that Pompeo’s office will be present in Karabakh negotiations anyway, taking into account Russia’s participation there and the current US President’s approach in the issue of the Russian influence.
“I am convinced that Russia’s influence and presence in this region will raise Trump’s interest in South Caucasus. If the events take that route, a new type of activeness can be expected from the US. The data published on his positioning relative to the Armenian issues cannot be a landmark today, forasmuch as Pompeo cannot be guided by personal preferences in the position of the Secretary of State,” said Rahr.
Araks MARTIROSYAN