News.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 6 2010

Progress in Karabakh conflict urgent for Ankara, political scientist
Wed 06 January 2010 | 10:12 GMT Text size:

Alexei Vlasov There are no special differences between Moscow and
Ankara in the liberation of the occupied lands around Nagorno
Karabakh.

"The situation in Nagorno Karabakh issue is that any contact in the
Ankara-Washington-Moscow axe is considered both in Azerbaijan and
Armenia via the prism of the Karabakh issue. Therefore, I do not rule
out that this issue will be on the agenda of talks during the upcoming
visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Moscow", said
political scientist and general director of the Center for Post-Soviet
area studies Alexei Vlasov.

He noted that though he does not hope for the public declaration of
agreements on the Karabakh issue by the leaders of Russia and Turkey
but adoption of any roadmap regarding the settlement of this issue is
not ruled out.
"Ankara may ask Moscow to do it a favor in this issue, as April is
coming and Obama may recognize the "Armenian genocide". To avoid this
and for the calm ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols in the
parliament, the progress in Karabakh issue is urgent for Ankara. I
think Moscow will promise Ankara to do everything possible to
accelerate the settlement of this issue. I think there are no
differences between Moscow and Ankara in the issue of the liberation
of lands around Nagorno Karabakh. I think Washington will also take
such a decision", Vlasov said.

Meanwhile, the political scientist noted that the complete settlement
of the Karabakh conflict will take time. "The positions of the parties
including the moderators of this process are too different. Washington
will want to keep its right to settle this conflict. Moscow is also
not against being a dominating force in this issue. Brussels and Paris
also have their interests apart from the interests of the regional
superpowers, including Turkey and Iran. Therefore, the parties will
have to pass a long process here. But I think it is possible to reach
a consensus in the issue of liberation of occupied lands around
Nagorno Karabakh", he said.

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