RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: RUSSIA WILL NOT ALLOW TURKEY STRENGTHEN ITS POSITIONS IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
ArmRadio.am
05.04.2007 16:24
Turkey’s policy of reinforcing its positions in the South Caucasus
will face the resistance of Russian diplomacy, since a new phase
of confrontation has come forth in Russian-Turkish relations, the
which developments of which can be diverse. Director of the Oriental
Studies Institute of the National Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan
said at a press conference today that Russian diplomacy, which has
got considerably active and flexible recently, cannot allow the
strengthening of positions of pro-west Turkey in the South Caucasus.
In Ruben Safrastyan’s words, opposite to that Turkey’s policy
of reinforcing its positions in the region is already yielding
results. Creation of an alliance between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan
is rather real, which brings to the division of the South Caucasus, and
Turkey implements this policy with the assistance of the United States.
In Ruben Safrastyan’s words, Russia will also aspire to strengthen
its positions in the region. Iran’s presence in the South Caucasus
is also a counterbalance to Turkey and Azerbaijan, and it proceeds
from our national interests. " However, the US policy towards Iran
is targeted at weakenin this influence," he added.