MIKHAIL ALEXANDROV: ARMENIA’S REGIONAL IMPORTANCE GREW

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.09.2008 17:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It was clear from the first that the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku (KAB) is expensive and economically inexpedient,
a Russian expert said.

"The only "advantage" of this project was a political goal to isolate
Armenia," Caucasus expert at the Institute of CIS Studies Mikhail
Alexandrov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"However, the South Ossetian crisis made Turkey more cautious
about political projects. Here, Russia’s influence on this country
should not be underestimated. Ankara has understood that the West’s
further penetration in the Caucasus is pregnant with grave economic
consequences. Security of energy sources transportation can also be
jeopardized. Baku-Supsa oil pipeline has already been closed while
Baku-Novorossiysk has been enabled," he said.

"Under the circumstances, Kars-Gyumri is cheaper and more secure that
the KAB. I can presume that Armenia’s regional importance has grown,"
the expert said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress