RUSSIA CAN CEDE A PART OF ITS TERRITORY TO AZERBAIJA

[MosJan]

• The events that followed Kosovo's proclamation of independence and deployment of EU peacekeepers in Georgia will affect the Nagorno Karabakh settlement process, an Armenian expert said. "The latest hearing in the NKR parliament revealed the whole range of opinions on the conflict. I don't think that such an event would be possible in the Armenian or Azeri parliament, due to the lack of pluralism of opinions," Stepan Grigoryan, head of analytical center of globalization studies, said during a round-table discussion today. The OSCE MNG format is jeopardized due to global processes, relating to the U.S. and Russia, according to him. "Russia attempts to speed up the Karabakh process artificially, what is to some extent conditioned by the impending presidential election I the United States. As to unwillingness to spoil relations with Azerbaijan, Russia could cede some 5 thousand km2 to this country, without using NKR as a token coin," Grigoryan said.

[MosJan]

ARMENIAN EXPERT: RUSSIA'S INTENTION TO SPEED UP KARABKAH PROCESS INCOMPREHENSIBLE

 

The 2008 events have created a new platform for the Karabakh process, said Sergei Minasyan, deputy director of the Caucasus Institute. "Azerbaijan will never become a completely pro-western country, like Georgia. Moreover, the latter has been disvalued as an oil and gas transit country. The world powers gave a fresh look at Armenia, whose 'football diplomacy' produced an effect," he said during a round table discussion today. "Turkey started developing its Caucasus stability and cooperation pact in spring and the five-day war in South Ossetia just pushed Ankara to action. Its initiative has changed the situation in the region," Minasyan said. At that he noted that Russia's intention to speed up the Karabakh process is incomprehensible. "Russia is imitating the Ramboullet and Bucharest scenarios. However, the conflicting sides prefer to maintain the status quo and the mediation of U.S. and EU. I am not sure that stirring up the talks is in Russia interest," he said.

[hosank]

Azerbaijan will never become a completely pro-western country, like Georgia.

well even georgia is not totally a pro-western country, but azerbaijan is less western than russia is...and russia knows that, which is why it is prepared for some leverage on the nkr issue with azerbaijan