LAVROV IN BAKU TO DISCUSS NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Kommersant, Russia
May 22 2007

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Azerbaijan for talks
on Monday. The two countries discussed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement as well as Moscow’s worries about Baku’s recent turn
towards EU and NATO integration.

Despite the declared "strategic partnership", relations between Moscow
and Baku has soured since Azerbaijan has adopted a West-leaning
stance. Moscow is dissatisfied with Baku’s participation the GUAM
organization which unites Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova and the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceycan pipeline project that the Kremlin views as
"unfriendly". Last December, Baku decided to suspend gas purchases
in Russia and threatened to halt oil pumping in the Baku-Novorossiysk
pipeline.

Meanwhile, United States announced plans in March to deploy its
anti-missile defense facilities in Azerbaijan, a plan that officials
in Baku have not commented. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
is most likely to express Russia’s concern over the matter and listen
to Azerbaijan’s stance.

Russia is ready to come up with solutions for the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that "it is possible to solve
the conflict and reach agreement." Moscow has long been mediating
between Azerbaijan and Armenia to settle the conflict. President
Vladimir Putin set up talks between Ilkham Aliev and his Armenian
counterpart Robert Kocharyan last November, though they brought no
results. Moscow is set to organize another meeting for the two leaders
at a CIS meeting in St. Petersburg and suggest a compromise solution.

However, Azerbaijan seems to be skeptical about Russia’s initiatives
as President Aliev has declared the Nagorno Karabakh issue cannot be
solved without NATO and EU mediation.