RUSSIAN-AZERI AGREEMENT OVER BUYING GAS CANNOT HAVE ESSENTIAL IMPACT ON NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Noyan Tapan
July 2, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The Russian-Azeri agreement over
buying gas cannot have an essential impact on the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement. As political scientist Armen Aghayan mentioned at the July
2 press conference, Russia has always had a more or less balanced
position in that issue. And unless Armenia expresses readiness of
concessions in the negotiations process, according to him, they cannot
be forced to Armenia not only by Russia, but also by the other OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairing countries. A.

Aghayan also considers that if a statement on territorial concessions
is signed, there will be a strong counteraction in public circles,
which will cause serious problems.

In the opinion of political scientist Sergey Minasian, it is
unprobable that any frame or final document on Nagorno Karabakh
settlement will be signed as a result of a regular meeting between
Armenian and Azeri Presidents to be held in July in Moscow. And the
Russian-Azeri agreements over buying gas are not final, they are still
intentions. Nevertheless, according to him, they will have an impact
on Russia’s position in the Nagorno Karabakh issue to some extent.

Speaking about issues regarding Georgia, which are important for
Armenia: Javakhk, preservation of Armenian churches, etc. A. Aghayan
stated that "no official of Georgia taking a hostile position should
have been awarded Order of Honor by the Armenian authorities, while
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was awarded that order during
his visit to Armenia. And dispersing the action of protest organized
in Yerevan in the days of the visit, according to the political
scientist, means that the Armenian authorities "give the green light"
to him and their responsibility is bigger.