ALEXANDROS PETERSON: TURKEY SERIOUS ABOUT OPENING BORDER WITH ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
24.09.2008 15:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan was shocked by Russia’s actions in
Georgia and decided to change the route for its oil and gas, a
U.S. expert said.
"A decision to develop east-west pipelines was taken. Some of them
will go through Novorossiysk, some through Iran. Heydar Aliyev has
once persuaded Turkey, Georgia and the United States to develop such
an oil pipeline," said Alexandros Peterson, southeast Europe scholar
at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre.
"Azerbaijan is facing a presidential election. It’s disappointed
with the fruitless Minsk process. Moreover, the Russian invasion in
Georgia proved unpredictability of the region and Baku’s policy grew
more unpredictable," he said.
Turkey and Azerbaijan are west-oriented, according to him. "Nabucco
gas pipeline one of the most important aspects. Meanwhile, mostly
guided by Russian interests, Armenia just watches the process, its
best friends being Russia and Iran. Nagorno Karabakh also remains a
problem. Armenia tries to preserve the status quo; Azerbaijan doesn’t
exclude the possibility to resolve the conflict by use of force,"
he said.
At that, he noted that Turkey’s importance should not be
neglected. "Gul’s visit to Yerevan was symbolic. Turkey is serious
about opening the border with Armenia. The initiative to mediate
between Yerevan and Baku for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict is an advance," Petersen said, Interfax reports.