WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 27, 2009 Friday

RUSSIA AND AZERBAIJAN BUILT BRIDGES;
Dmitry Medvedev conducted negotiations with Ilkham Aliyev

by Vyacheslav Leonov

MOSCOW TRIES TO PERSUADE BAKU THAT MILITARY SOLUTION FOR
NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM HAS NO PROSPECTS; President of Russia Dmitry
Medvedev met with Azerbaijani leader Ilkham Aliyev in Ulyanovsk. The
presidents had to discuss results of another round of
Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. Previously, Aliyev stirred up the
international community having announced that Baku did not rule out
"liberation of its lands by military way." So, according to experts,
it was necessary to "sooth him down."

President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev met with Azerbaijani leader Ilkham
Aliyev in Ulyanovsk. The presidents had to discuss results of another
round of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations. Previously, Aliyev stirred
up the international community having announced that Baku did not rule
out "liberation of its lands by military way." So, according to
experts, it was necessary to "sooth him down."

Another round of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations ended in Munich.
Moscow started taking more active diplomatic efforts aimed at
reconciliation of Yerevan and Baku claiming the laurels of the main
peacekeeper in Nagorno-Karabakh. In any case, so far rhetoric of
conflict participants has been getting only more belligerent.

On the eve of the Munich round of negotiations Aliyev hinted that
Azerbaijan might solve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem by a military
operation. Aliyev announced, "We reinforce our army because we have
never ruled out such option. We have a full right to liberate our
lands by the military way."

Alexander Krylov, expert of the institute of international policy and
international relations of the Russian academy of sciences, says, "The
words of Aliyev seriously scared the intermediaries of the regulation.
I presumed that Medvedev tried to sooth Aliyev down and to persuade
him that the military way had no prospects." According to Krylov, such
a course of events would be extremely not beneficial for Russia
because according to the Madrid principles of regulation it would be
possible to deploy foreign peacekeepers including those from NATO
countries in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Igor Korotchenko, member of the supervisory council of the Defense
Ministry, says that the two countries have good prospects in military
technological cooperation. For example, Azerbaijani navy may buy
Russian combat boats. In any case, Moscow has any kinds of military
cooperation with Azerbaijan in a way not to spoil relations with
Armenia.

Source: RBC daily, November 25, 2009, p. 3

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress