RUSSIA AND IRAN NOT TO ALLOW ANYONE GAIN A FOOTHOLD IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.07.2009 16:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The last meeting between the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan was different from previous ones, political scientist
Sergey Shakaryants told a press conference in Yerevan today. According
to him, the meeting was different since the president met without
witnesses. "The essence of the Karabakh issue is not so interesting
in Russia. If Armenia and Azerbaijan seek to resolve the conflict
on the basis of their state interests, then the objectives of Russia
are different," Mr. Shakaryants said, noting that Russia has its own
game in the region and collect ‘advantages’ to address its strategic
challenges, not related to Nagorno Karabakh conflict .

"Moscow will not allow anyone in or through Turkey to assert
their interests in the South Caucasus. This is testified by the
fact that even before the meeting of the Presidents in Moscow the
certain information had been circulated about the statements of CSTO
representatives on the deployment of the CSTO troops in the conflict
zone after signing the agreement on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement,"
Mr. Shakaryants said.

He also stressed that Iran will be against the deployment of western
peacemakers in the conflict zone. "I am not the representative of
Iran, but I understand the situation very well. I would not want NATO
troops standing at my northern border, " Mr. Shakaryants said. He
noted, that the reason is not that Iran does not entrust the West or
NATO, but just does not want see on its border troops of confronted
countries. "Similarly, as Russia does not want to see at its borders
the forces, which could destabilize its southern regions. Yerevan
and Baku should have take it into consideration," Mr. Shakaryants
concluded.