INTERESTS OF GREAT POWERS NOT FOCUSED ON RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: GERMAN EXPERT

Today.Az
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Oct 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations
Alexander Rahr.

Day.Az: How do you generally assess Armenian-Turkish relations at
the moment?

Alexander Rahr: I think that now a breakthrough in Turkish-Armenian
relations has been planned which have not yet occurred. There are too
many complexities. Now there is the so-called "bargaining behind the
scenes" by all sides, someone has to give something, while others
have to get something. The bargaining here implies, in particular,
laying of new pipes, global energy security of Europe and new enhanced
role of Turkey. It is difficult to say anything here except that,in my
opinion, we are now at the beginning of a new chapter of geopolitical
rearrangements.

Q: What can you say about the opening of borders between Turkey and
Armenia? Will Turkish parliament ratify the Turkey-Armenia protocols?

A: I think that Turkey can not go in the opposite direction. Turkey
wants to open borders with Armenia, and the important factor here
is the European Union, which wants to gain access to the Caucasus
through Turkey. I do not think that the Armenian-Turkish border will
be easily opened. The process moves in this direction, though rather
slowly. The fact is that the program of East Partnership implies a
very close relationship with the three South Caucasus countries, so
for Europe is very important that the entire region will be removed
from the isolation in which it is caught up at the moment.

Q: What impact did the Armenia-Turkey dialogue have on resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

A: The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the form in which it exists now
does not satisfy only Azerbaijan. Other countries are quite satisfied
with the status quo. For Europe and the West the most important thing
is that there was no violence, that there was no military action and
excessive blood. I understand the Azerbaijan side – now the Karabakh
issue will be removed from the agenda. I also think that Azerbaijan
will be very hard in talking on the Karabakh issue with Turkey, as
here, the interests of great powers in the face of the United States,
European Union (if I may say so) are not focused on resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh question, but how to involve the entire region
of South Caucasus to cooperation with the European Union.