RUSSIA HOPES FOR TURKEY RECOGNIZING ABKHAZIA

news.am
Jan 12 2010
Armenia

Russia hopes Turkey will be the first pro-western state to recognize
Abkhazia, and serious relevant work is under way, Alexander Rar,
European expert for energy and CIS, stated in his interview with
1news.az, speaking of Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan’s visit to Moscow.

According to him, "a most serious dynamic policy is being implemented
in the South Caucasus and Black Sea region, but it is not only
Nagorno-Karabakh that is in question." The expert believes the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem to be "of secondary importance" in this
context.

"The foremost topic is a fierce struggle for control over energy
resources – which side will be the first to lay lines for oil and
gas transit from the East to the West. The outcome is near. Very many
players are competing in this field," Rar said.

This is the reason why Russia is forming closer relations with Turkey
and doing its best for Turkey, not Ukraine, to serve as a transit
country for gas supplied to Europe and "thus prevent any attempts to
construct any other gas pipelines through Ukraine."

As regards the aim of RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to
Armenia, Yerevan "is not so important for Moscow now, but Turkey is."

"Armenia is unable to seriously contribute to this big game. Rather,
it can perhaps be a hindrance to Russia. Turkey is playing a much more
important role, and Russia has focused its policy on this factor,"
the expert said.