RUSSIAN EXPERT: TURKISH AND IRANIAN DELEGATES COULD REPLACE U.S. AND EU REPRESENTATIVES IN OSCE MG

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.10.2008 15:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There are two preconditions for resumption of
Karabakh peace process: Baku’s closer relations with Russia and the
shift in Turkey’s approach to regional developments, according to a
Russian expert.

"The latest indicative event is the visit of U.S. Vice President
Dick Cheney to Baku and the way he was received. Cheney arrived
in Azerbaijan to enlist support for formation of an anti-Russian
coalition. However, President Ilham Aliyev, who has known Cheney
for a long time, did not even come to the airport to welcome the
guest. Furthermore, during the conversation Cheney was clearly
given to understand that Azerbaijan will strain relations with
Moscow. Later, Aliyev offered Russia to export a part of Azeri oil
through Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, thus questioning expediency
of Baku-Ceyhan, which was a U.S. initiative," Alexander Kuznetsov,
senior expert at Russian Center of Geopolitical Expertise, said.

"Another precondition is the shift in Turkey’s approach to regional
developments. Turkey has become more realistic, what was proved by
landmark visit of President Gul to Armenia. In this respect, it makes
sense to think of replacement of U.S. and EU representatives in OSCE
Minsk Group by Turkish and Iranian representatives. The Karabakh
process is complicated and it would be too na?ve to suppose that
the 20-year-old problem can be resolved within several months. But
one thing is clear: it must be resolved. Acting as a constructive
mediator, Russia will refute all accusations of "attempts to revive
the soviet empire," and will gain authority in the CIS," the expert
wrote in an article posted on Geopolitika.ru.