Mikhail Leontyev: "Efficiency of Russian-Azerbaijani relations will depend on the way of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement"

- How will Dmitri Medvedev lead Russia?

-Dmitri Medvedev is a worthy member of Vladimir Putin's team.

His main task is to continue his work in the framework of presidency this time. The plan of state development already exists. Currently, it is important to develop different state institutions. Dmitri Medvedev is quite a competent lawyer. At the same time, he is even more competent lawyer than Vladimir Putin. The newly elected president is a real career lawyer.

I think, the powers of the president will include state institutional issues, while the issues of external policy and accelerated modernization is a task of the government.

-Anyway, who will rule over Russia, Dmitri Medvedev or Vladimir Putin?

-What does it mean "rule"? The power is normal if it is not a dictatorship and if it is not controlled by one person. It is obvious that today our political leader is Vladimir Putin, while the head of state, with all resulting issues, is Dmitri Medvedev. Yet, considering the current tasks, the political course is a work of the government, as, if you remember, the political course of Vladimir Putin is accelerated modernization, of which he has frequently spoken about.

I would repeat that accelerated modernization is a task of the government. The government previously had no such tasks. In the principle, policy was inert, which means ineffective. The main sign of the restoration of the country became provision of stability.

The newly elected president should continue ensuring stability on a new level. On the whole, this was the main priority of his election campaign-development of institutes, which is right, as institutional development in Russia is a problematic issue. If serious achievements are attained in this issue, everything will be alright. It is clear that the task of economic modernization is also the task of the government. And it deserves being dealt with by the political leader.

Vladimir Putin is a factual and formal political leader of the country. He leads the major political party of Russia. Why not divide powers between the President and the Prime Minister? This means that the working institutions of the Russian executive powers and the executive powers themselves will become real authorities.

-How will Azerbaijani-Russian relations develop under Dmitri Medvedev's presidency?

-Definite subjective and perspective aspects are observed in the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. The subjective aspect is the unsettled Nagorno Karabakh conflict, considering that Russia maintains particular relations with Armenia and quite good relations with Azerbaijan. But in order to improve Russian-Azerbaijan relations, the talent and abilities of Heydar Aliyev are needed, as he did not ignore this problem. I hope, this will not last long.

The problem can be settled in fact, by the only simple reason-it should be settled. For example, the Palestine-Israel problem, is a problem, which may have not been settled, if not for external forces, which are interested in the protraction of this problem settlement, while the Azerbaijani-Armenian problem should be settled, as this is of particular concern for not only Azerbaijan, which is an aggrieved party, but also Armenia.

It is impossible to continue preservation of the quo-status. Armenia is being defeated both in the political and economic plan, as the conflict settlement attracts attention of the world community. And the protracted settlement of the conflict is bad for Armenia. The efficiency of Russian-Azerbaijani relations will depend on the way of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and they might enter a new stage or they might not. This may occur as Russia's counteraction with the West is consolidating. Sooner or later Azerbaijan will have to choose. We hope that Baku will choose the Kremlin.

-Analysts state that upon completion of Dmitri Medvedev's presidency, Vladimir Putin will become President of Russia again...

-I do not see any obstacles for such constitutional and political developments. First of all, Vladimir Putin has not left the government. His return is possible. Perhaps, not. Everything may change in the present day rapidly changing world.

/Day.Az/