WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 28, 2008 Friday

ARMENIAN EXPERT ASKS RUSSIA TO GIVE AZERBAIJAN PART OF DAGESTAN AS
RECOMPENSE FOR KARABAKH

ARMENIAN POLITICAL TECHNOLOGIST SUGGESTS A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF
NAGORNO-KARABAKH AT RUSSIA’S COST; Armenian political scientists
suggests a quaint solution to the problem of Karabakh.

"Russia has the means of settling the conflict over Karabakh. All it
has to do is offer Azerbaijan part of its territory (4,000 square
kilometers)," Stepan Grigorjan of the Center for Globalization and
Analysis of Regional Cooperation (Armenia) said.

The political scientist said there were two ways of settling the
Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict – one involving Russia and the other
Europe. "The European solution stipulates complete integration of
Armenia and Azerbaijan into Europe so that the status quo will be
preserved but the problem at hand will never even be raised again
because there are no borders within the European Union. And both
capitals will be given international guarantees of security, of
course," Grigorjan said. "The Russian solution comes down to the
following. Since Russia is Armenia’s ally and friend, it should give
up part of its land on the border with Azerbaijan, say, in Dagestan
(4,000 square kilometers will be a fair chunk) and turn it over to
Azerbaijan. It is Putin who decides everything in Russia these
days. We know that what he says, goes. If the Armenians succeed in
persuading Putin therefore, this solution may be applied. Russia in
its turn will be given permission by Azerbaijan to use Azerbaijani
territory or oil and gas export and guarantees from Armenia and
Azerbaijan that they will never apply for NATO membership. As for
Karabakh, it will get guarantees from the international community and
Azerbaijan and will remain autonomous from Armenia."

Grigorjan admitted that whoever was calling Karabakh Armenian
territory irritated him. "It’s those who scream that Karabakh is
Armenia who are a real menace," he said. "They irritate me. Enough is
enough. Karabakh does not belong to Armenia. It belongs to the people
of Karabakh. It is the people of Karabakh who should decide if they
want to join Armenia or not."

Source: Regnum news agency, November 25, 2008
Translated by Aleksei Ignatkin