Aysor.am
03.10.2009, 14:01

Shevchenko: Armenia’ll restore its status of mediator

`Armenian-Turkish negotiations create new opportunities and add new
factors in the South Caucasus,’ said member of the Public Chamber of
Russia, speaker on Russia’s `1′ TV-channel Maxim Shevchenko in
interview with Aysor’s correspondent.

Noting that today’s Turkey is a powerful country with dynamically
developing economy against Turkey of 1990’s the analyst stressed the
importance of negotiations between the two countries for the two
nations and the region.

`It’s visibly that the relations are getting warmer, and it’s
important not only to Armenian or Turkish nations but Russia as well,’
he said noting that peaceful relations and their development creates
platform for more promising future trends.

On his opinion, if negotiations success and Armenian-Turkish border is
opened, Armenia will gradually restore its historic status of region’s
mediator.

`I remember the role that Armenian community of Lebanon played during
the civil war.’

He pointed that one shouldn’t hurry in process of negotiations. `It’s
important to prepare the society explaining positive and negative
factors and never go against nation’s will.’

Nevertheless, Mr. Shevchenko thinks that the border will not be opened
soon since Ankara will again nominate the precondition on Karabakh. It
should be mentioned the link between Turkey and Azerbaijan, he says.

Speaking about issue of Karabakh Maxim Shevchenlo pointed that it
cannot be understood as bilateral.

`It is a conflict of interests, likes, and dislikes of a great number
of forces never directly linked with this conflict. Nevertheless,
everything depends on the Armenians and Azerbaijanis despite `Madrid’
principles or any other principles,’ said the analyst stressing that
resolving this complex issue it must be considered first and foremost
the will of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, not of Armenia or
Azerbaijan.