Vafa Quluzade: "Russia will bother Azerbaijan with contacts with Karabakh revenging for our pro-Western orientation"

- Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan Vasili Istratov openly recognized the fact of illegal conclusion of an agreement on cooperation of Russia with one of the cities in Nagorno Karabakh. Before that, the press published information hinting on Russian claims for two Azerbaijani villages, bordering Russia. What is behind it: incompetence of the Russian diplomat, if speaking about Istratov's statement or Russia's intention to develop "Georgian script" in the relation to Azerbaijan, trying to stake on separatism?

- This proves that Russia will toughen its attitude towards Azerbaijan. Moscow is outraged by Azerbaijan's continuation of its Western orientation and strengthening of cooperation with NATO and Moscow feels that this will end in our country's accession to the alliance.

Moreover, Russia is angry with Azerbaijan for agreeing to take part in the Nabucco gas pipe project, which is bypassing Russia. As you know, Russia offered Azerbaijan to give it all Azerbaijani gas, but Azerbaijan rejected the offer. The President of Turkmenistan, who refused to received head of Gazprom Miller, demonstrated that Ashkhabad and Baku will participate in this project of gas transportation bypassing Russia.

- What about the coming visit of new president of Russia D.Medvedev to Azerbaijan on July 3-4, which is assessed by the head of the Azerbaijani state as an indicator of high level of relations between the two countries?

- This is why Medvedev wants to visit Azerbaijan and after it Turkmenistan.

Russians will try to demonstrate its negative attitude to Azerbaijan by using Nagorno Karabakh. They will establish cooperation between Karabakh and different cities of Russia, hold visit of officials an unofficial persons to Karabakh and threaten to Azerbaijan by repetition of the Kosovo variant and recognition of Nagorno Karabakh's independence.

But I would say at once that Russia is not America. Russia will not be able to provide independence of Nagorno Karabakh, as Americans did for Kosovo, because Kosovo is striving for the European Union and NATO and gets aid of the strongest super state-the United States, while Russia itself is a developing country and it can not do anything for Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh.

- But the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are far from those, we currently observe between Moscow and Georgia. Why does Russia need new enemies by striving for recognition of the separatist regime in Nagorno Karabakh?

- Russia will not do it. It will threaten to us, but it does not mean that it will recognize it. Moscow will try to stake on this factor and impose political pressure on the Azerbaijani leadership. But the Azerbaijani leadership is too self-confident.

- So, nothing should be expected from the first meeting of the President of Azerbaijan and Armenia, held in Saint-Petersburg.

- This meeting did not give any results, because both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are fully under Russia's dictate.

I have once warned Russia that by rejecting to settle this conflict in 1994-1995, to withdraw Armenian armed forces from the occupied lands and return Azerbaijani refugees to their homes, Russia made a great mistake, as it will lose too much with Americans' appearance.

/Day.Az/