YUNUSOV: KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT TO PUSH RUSSIA OUT OF REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian leadership understands that not only
the future of the whole region but also the future role and place
of Russia in the region is being determined now, said Arif Yunusov,
the Director of the Department of Conflictology at the Institute of
Peace and Democracy. In his words, Russia realizes Azerbaijan’s role
in the Georgian-Russian collision.

Russia pursues the policy of the stick and the carrot with
Azerbaijan. Now it offers the carrot but at the same time hints
at possible appliance of the stick "In other words, on one hand
Russia pursues a selective policy with Azerbaijan. Actively playing
a separatist card as regard Georgia and Moldova, Moscow tries not
to irritate Azerbaijan. On the other hand Moscow understands that
Azerbaijan is neither Georgia nor Armenia. Russia has lost influence
on Baku’s policy since the Yeltsin times. There are no Russian troops
in Azerbaijan, which possesses enough energy resources kept under
control of the Azeri authorities," the expert said.

At that he remarked that Russia still has some trumps, first of all
the Karabakh issue and the condition of Azeri migrants in Russia. The
recent measures of the Russian authorities as regards the Azeri
migrants are the stick while the promise of support in the Karabakh
issue is the carrot. "As a matter of fact Russia can influence on the
negotiation process however the hope that Russia will press on Armenia
and help Azerbaijan to take Karabakh back is a mere illusion. The
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will strengthen the
U.S. positions and will push Russia out of the region, reports Day.az.