ARMENIA SEEKS RUSSIAN BACKING TO THWART US-BACKED KARABAKH TALKS – EXPERT

Noyan Tapan news agency
12 Apr 06

Yerevan, 12 April: The latest accord on selling the fifth unit of
the Razdan thermal power station, as well as the property-for-debt
programme, is in no way beneficial for Armenia’s national or state
interests, Stepan Safaryan, leading expert with the Armenian Centre
for Strategic and National Research, has told Noyan Tapan news agency.

The deal is linked with the current geopolitical situation in the South
Caucasus, he said. In his opinion, the Nagornyy Karabakh problem is
the prevailing one and it has subordinated to itself all other issues
concerning Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The USA has considerably stepped up its role in the Nagornyy Karabakh
peace talks and, in this context, the governments of the two countries
have found themselves in an extremely “pathetic” state. In order to
take advantage of this “pathetic” state, the superpowers, including
Russia, seek to “obtain maximum benefits”. By handing over to Russia
facilities of strategic importance Armenia once again expects Russian
assistance to derail or avoid settlement [of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict]. The expert is certain that the position of Armenia, as
well as that of Russia, have been formed in the face of pressure from
America regarding resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh problem.

In this sense, it is remarkable that the balance which once existed has
been destroyed and President Bush officially invited the Azerbaijani
president to the USA, Safaryan said. He recalled the 2001 Key
West talks when President Bush received [Armenian President Robert]
Kocharyan and [late Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev “on the sole
condition that they agree to implement the Key West agreements”.

“There was certainly a lot of disappointment later when Heydar Aliyev
rejected this option and thus saved Robert Kocharyan. However, in
any case, it is obvious that this time the USA bets on Azerbaijan,”
the expert said.

The current processes concerning the Nagornyy Karabakh talks can
be described as “Key West – 2” but in an improved way when the USA
and the West use in the negotiations techniques which “reduce the
room for manoeuvre to the minimum as opposed to the 2001 Key West
talks. However, it is somewhat difficult to imagine the ways and the
pressure under which these techniques will be used”, the expert said.