PanArmenian News
Jan 13 2005

RUSSIAN EXPERT CONSIDERS THAT RUSSIA CAN LOSE IRAN AS A STRATEGIC
PARTNER

13.01.2005 17:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When commenting on the results of the talks between
Iran and Russia over the Caspian problem, well-known Russian expert
R. Safarov expressed opinion in an interview with Iran.ru that “if in
the near future the state of affairs does not change, Russia’s
positions in the Caspian region will weaken with every day.” “It
seems to me that there is a tendency towards the weakening of
Russia’s position, a trend of inadequate attention towards the issue
in question by the Russian leaders,” Rajib Safarov says. Iran’s and
Russia’s positions over Caspian issues do not coincide on principal
matters, he considers. “What Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
suggest does not fit Iran at all,” the expert continues. Safarov
considers the supposition that Iran “has not place to go from Russia”
“evidently erroneous.” “Unfortunately, I have to state that at
present the Russian leaders do not have a long-term program of
deepening and expanding the Russian-Iranian cooperation.”
Establishing the fact of good relations Russian functionaries, in the
expert’s words, do absolutely nothing to flavor those relations.
“However, politics is an inconstant value. New actions are necessary
for maintaining the proper level of relations. From that point of
view, unfortunately, the first symptoms of the crisis in the
Russian-Iranian relations are available. And what is most
irreparable: if in the near future Russia does not suggest Iran any
new, breaking initiatives, there is large probability that it will
lose Iran as a very important strategic partner maybe forever,” says
R. Safarov.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress