Author: Christine Harutyunian

ArmInfo. The trilateral working group for unblocking all the economic and transport links in the South Caucasus is discussing the resumption of railway and highway  service in the interests of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan and their  neighbors, Alexey Zaitsev of Russia' foreign office reported as he  informed journalists of the Russian-Armenian-Azerbaijani agreements  on the unblocking of transport links via Armenia's Syunik province. 

The trilateral group co-chaired by the Russian, Armenian and  Azerbaijani vice-premiers continues working. 

In this context, Mr Zaitsev reported some progress in the wake of the  group's 10th meeting in Moscow, June 3, and due to contacts on the  sidelines of thee Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum. 

 "The parties could draw their positions closer on various aspects of  resumption of transport communication. The trilateral group is  discussing the resumption of railway and highway service in the  interests of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan and their neighbors. The  co-chairs will inform mass media of the results after they reach  concrete agreements," Mr Zaitsev said.

As regards the OSCE Mink Group co-chairmanship, the Russian official  said that Russia stated its position at the June 22 briefing. 

The working group co-chaired by Armenian Vice-Premier Mher Grigoryan,  Russian Vice-Premier Alexey Overchuk and Azerbaijani Vice-Premier  Shahin Mustafayev held its 10th meeting in Moscow, June 3.

"Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan drew their positions closer on border  control and other types of control, as well as on safe movement of  citizens, vehicles and cargoes along highways and railways via  Armenia and Azerbaijan. The vice-premiers discussed possible routes  of a highway between thee western regions of Azerbaijan and  Nakhichevan via Armenia. The parties will continue the work to  implement the agreements between the Russian, Armenian and  Azerbaijani leaders on unblocking of thee transport links in the  region," thee statement read.

ArmInfo.The loss of Artsakh will result in unpredictable and radical changes in the geopolitical landscape of the South Caucasus, Foreign Minister of the Nagorno-  Karabakh Republic (NKR) David Babayan stated at the presentation of  the book entitled "Karabakh conflict and foreign policy of Republic  of Artsakh." 

According to him, whether Artsakh exists or does not exist, and  whether it is part or nor part of Azerbaijan really matters. 

"Loss of Artsakh will result in unpredictable radical changes in the  geopolitical landscape of the region, which will form an entirely  different global situation. I am not exaggerating. Even small points  are crucial for the region's future, including in the global  respect," Mr Babayan said. 

In this context, he suggests imagining that Artsakh is no more. In  this case, one of the policies that will be dominating in the  Transcaucasus is Pan-Turkism, which will cause further processes,  such as expansion of Pan-Turkism into Central Asia, Northern Caucasia  and Near East, as far as China. 

"That would create a radically different situation. And the most  important thing is that we realize geopolitics has its own rules. We  have entered an era of barefaced geopolitics, with norms and ideology  being of secondary importance. But it does not mean we should not  know our past and future. At present many of us do not know what  Artsakh and Karabakh is. Who is to blame – the superpowers or the  Turks?  So we ourselves must understand our strong and weak points,"  Mr Babayan said. 

He recalled the four resolutions by the U.N. Security Council  Azerbaijan is appealing to and interpreting in its own way. 

"But all the four resolutions by the U.N. Security Council recognize  Artsakh as an entity. If Azerbaijan claims they contain points on  territorial integrity, the same documents recognize Nagorno-Karabakh  as an entity. It is written there in black and white that the local  Armenian forces are independents of either Armenia or Azerbaijan. And  we must speak of that," Mr Babayan said.