ARMENIA WILL BE PRESSURED TO RETURN LAND AROUND KARABAKH – GERMAN EXPERT

news.az
Nov 16 2009
azerbaijan

Alexander Rahr Alexander Rahr, programme director for Russia-Eurasia
at the German Council on Foreign Relations, expects the European
Union to become more active in the South Caucasus.

Over the next six months the European Union will be preoccupied with
its own internal affairs, Rahr said in an interview with Armenian news
agency Arminfo. It will introduce the post of EU foreign minister,
which will have huge powers, particularly in resolving territorial
conflicts like the one in Nagorno-Karabakh, he said.

Rahr said that the EU foreign minister will have staff and an office
and some special representatives will probably be changed. "I do not
expect any rapid or drastic changes, but European foreign policy will
target the South Caucasus because the EU understands that a result
of the Russian-Georgian conflict is it was able as an institution to
enter the Caucasus and gain a firm foothold in Georgia. Now the EU
will try to do the same in Armenia and Azerbaijan."

It seems that the EU is not sure what to do with the upper hand it
has gained in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Rahr said. "Maybe,
and this is just my own speculation, Armenia will come under pressure
to return to Azerbaijan the territories around Nagorno-Karabakh and at
the same time a clearer status will be given to the Nagorno-Karabakh
republic itself, and opportunities will be found to resolve
peacekeeping issues, maybe through some European troops."