Fikret Sadikhov: "Azerbaijan with its large category of Russian-speaking people and rapidly growing economy is more favorable for Russia as an ally than impoverished and mono-ethnic Armenia"

-How do you assess the visit of chairman of Russian state Duma Boris Gryzlov to Azerbaijan and the overall current stats of Azerbaijani-Russian relations?

-Boris Gryzlov's visit to Azerbaijan had been planned before the replacement of powers in Russia, therefore, it should not be bound to the outcomes of the recent presidential elections in this country. The said visit of the chairman of the Russian State Duma was conducted in the framework of bilateral relations between our countries.On the whole, the visit is an important chain in the expanding relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in economic, political and cultural spheres. The current Azerbaijani-Russian relations have prospects of expansion. In particular, Russia realizes the importance of the
implementation of the North-South transport corridor implementation, in particular, its railway section, which will communicate the steel highways of Azerbaijan, Russia and Iran.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Gryzlov urged to accelerate work on the creation of an international consortium on the implementation of this project. Certainly, there is a wide potential for expanding trade and economic relations between the two countries, in particular, bringing the commodity turnover between our countries to $2 bln this year and to $4 mln  by 2010. Of course, it is impossible to speak about prospects of the Azerbaijani-Russian relations without discussing the prospects of the resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, as anyway Russia was one of the originators of this conflict and Armenia's position in the negotiation process and this means the ways of its resolution mostly depend on the will of the Kremlin.

-Famous Russian publicist and public figure Vasily Lvovich Velichko in his book "The Caucasus. Russian case and inter-tribal relations", which speaks about the events of the 19th century, states in open, that Russia makes a great mistake, gambling on Armenia, but not Azerbaijan. Why did Russia not change its position on the issue within almost one and a half century?

-The said issue remains really too urgent, as Azerbaijan has a large category of not only Russian natives but also Russian-speaking and Russian-thinking citizens of our country, unlike monoethnic Armenia. I fully agree with you that Russia makes a great mistake, not taking a lesson from its own historical mistakes and not using good conditions for growing its influence in Azerbaijan.

Moreover, by its behavior and attitude towards Azerbaijan, the current leadership of Russia creates hatred of Russians and Russian-speaking citizens, residing in Azerbaijan, towards it. Unfortunately, the Russian policy in the Caucasus, conducted since the times of Peter
and Catherine the Great and based on the contradictions between Turkey and Iran, aimed at weakening Turkey's influence in our region, has not changed yet.Though in period of existence of the Russian empire and the USSR this policy could be understood, while now when Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are independent states, this policy is,
undoubtedly, too disputable.

Perhaps, it is explained by the inertia of the Russian political establishment, which tends to preserve its influence in the factually vassal Armenia, keeping it its outpost for possible clash of interests of Russia and Turkey. At the same time, Russia fares the closing of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

I think this caused Russia's open support to Armenia, keeping a military base in its utpost and fully monopolizing almost all the enterprises of this country.

-But wouldn't it be better for Russia to struggle with possible closing of Azerbaijan and Turkey without supporting Armenia, thus, antagonizing our country against itself and occupy a fair position in the region, attaching more attention to expansion of Azerbaijani-Russian relations?

-To conduct such policy one should be deeply intellectual, having common sense and thinking not of immediate profit but of strategic partnership and prospects. I do not state that there are no such people in Russia. Merely, currently the political elite of Russia is
composed of people, who do not make such kind of political analysis, do not think of how to attain the improvement of Russia's image in the most developed country of the South Caucasus-Azerbaijan.

Though, I would admit that Putin's Russia makes a more sober assessment of issues and the support of Armenia was not so open in its policy, as it was in Yeltsin's Russia. Moreover, Russian leadership realizes that one can not be the ally of Azerbaijan and simultaneously of Armenia. Therefore, they prefer to be allies with Armenia and maintain partner relations with Azerbaijan.

-And is it more profitable for Russia to build relations with Azerbaijan or with Armenia from the pragmatic point of view?

-I am sure that Russia should have made conclusions from its own mistakes and deepen relations with Azerbaijan, as according to political pragmatism, Azerbaijan with its powerful category of Russian-speaking people and rapidly growing economy is more favorable for Russia as an ally than impoverished and mono-ethnic Armenia.

In this connection, it should be noted that Azerbaijan does everything possible to expand its relations with Russia. One should have a look at the mass medias of the whole region of the South Caucasus, where the Azerbaijani Russian-language website Day.Az is most popular, to understand that for Russia it is more profitable to stake on our country, not on the backward Armenia, which is fully conquered by Russia.

The economic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are rapidly developing and relations between our countries are also deepening in the cultural and educational sector, which is proven by the frequent tours of culture and show-business representatives of Russia to Baku, as well as opening of the affiliate of the Moscow State University. In other words, there are all conditions for Russia to make due conclusions from the existing realities and realize that Azerbaijan is more favorable for the development of the geopolitical influence of Russia than Armenia.

-Can we count on the cardinal closing of Azerbaijan and Russia under new President Dmitri Medvedev?

-We should not make extremely optimistic forecasts, as Russia will preserve its ally relations with Armenia for the near future. Yet, under Medvedev, who is a representative of the liberal, democratic and not the force structures of Russia, one can expect attempts of a significant closing in the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.

Certainly, it would be possible if such initiatives are not blocked by force units, represented by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

/Day.Az/