PanARMENIAN.Net

Russia’s susceptibility to Western interests in Caucasus irritates,
Markedonov says
03.03.2007 14:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia should demonstrate a sober approach to the
possible installation of American anti-missile defense system in the
Caucasus, said Sergey Markedonov, the head of the department of
international relations at the institute of political and military
studies. `There is a lack of pragmatic talk among competent people and
military experts. What kind of consequences may it have?’ he said.

Meanwhile, yesterday Lt Gen Henry A. Obering, the Director of the
U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) told a news conference in Brussels
that the U.S. is going to consider the possibility of installation of
anti-missile defense radar somewhere in the Caucasus.

The outlook of an American radar near Russia should become a signal
for a thorough debate on relations with the West, Markedonov said.

`I see that the big number of challenges, including the Islamic
extremism, terrorism, and unpredictable regime throughout the
post-soviet space, unite Russia and the West. Under such circumstances
we must not engage into collision with the West,’ the expert said.
`Certainly, the West has its own interests in the Caucasus but
Russia’s susceptibility to these interests irritates. Who forced us to
lay down terms to Azerbaijan in an effort to make it join Georgia’s
blockade? Who forced us to transform Armenia into a state suffering
from the Russia-Georgian relations and thus push it towards the West?
I am not speaking of the Abkhazian and South Ossetian problems
now. These are priority issues for Russia and a compromise with
Georgia will hardly be found. Nevertheless, there are plenty of issues
that demand western presence, first of all the Caucasian formations
themselves,’ Markedonov said, reports the Caucasian Knot.