BAKU DESCRIBES PUTIN’S STATEMENT AS "LAME JOKE"
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.02.2007 15:59 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Russian President Vladimir Putin’s news conference
clearly hinted on cooling in Azeri-Russian relations," said Arif
Yunusov, the director of the department of conflictology at the
institute of peace and democracy. "Putin was rather restrained as
regards Azerbaijan and poured compliments on Armenia. Several months
ago his statements on Karabakh were different. Thus, we have got the
following picture: Russia understands that with its rough actions it
pushed Azerbaijan closer to the West. The gas blackmail has failed
and Russia has received one more minus in form of Azerbaijan. So,
if Russia loses Armenia, it will be a loud collapse of its foreign
policy in the South Caucasus. Moscow is most likely to consolidate
positions in Armenia and at the same time smooth policy towards
Azerbaijan and Georgia, Yunusov said.
When commenting on Vladimir Putin’s wish to Armenians and Azeris "to
reconstruct Aghdam, since its port was always popular in the former
USSR", Yunusov said it looked like a lame joke that can be taken in
different ways. "Leaders of many states often make foolish remarks
during news conferences of the kind and Putin is not an exception,"
he said.
"I suppose Putin wanted to take the train off but a top politician
like him should understand that jokes on Karabakh conflict are
inappropriate," Yunusov resumed, reports Day.az.