Armenia’s status not allows it to have its own opinion on deepening Russia-Azerbaijan relations: expert

Day.Az: How would you comment on one-day working visit to Azerbaijan by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdukov and its outcome?

Fikrat Sadigov: The visit  by Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serduukov should be considered in two ways. First of all, this visit is linked with strengthening of military and technical relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. Secondly, of course, this visit is related to the overall situation in the South Caucasus region, in particular with the Russian-Georgian relations, as well as the situation in Iran.

Q: Do not you think that Russian Defense Minister’s visit not announced anywhere before was somewhat sudden?

A: Visits by defense leaders are not always announced. So, now it is not an official, but working visit by Russian Defense Minister to Azerbaijan which focused on  operational issues related to security in the South Caucasus region and Russia's military presence in the region, the expansion of Russian-Azerbaijani military and technical cooperation on mutually beneficial terms.

Q: What, in your opinion, will be Armenia’s  reaction to enhancing Russia-Azerbaijan military and technical cooperation?

A: Armenia is Russia’s “outpost” in the Caucasus and its status will not be changed. in the foreseeable future. But the current leadership of Russia is well aware that their country can not forever indefinitely to provide loans to Armenia and to employ ex-presidents of Armenia, which has long bee turned into a mononational and economically backward state. Moreover, Azerbaijan both economically and geopolitically is a very attractive partner engaged in a very sensible and balanced foreign policy. Moreover, hundreds thousands of Russians still live in Azerbaijan unlike Armenia and the number of Russian-speaking population of is greater.

All of this creates a good basis for a comprehensive deepening of Russian-Azerbaijani relations. Neither Russia nor Azerbaijan should be interested in what Armenia thinks in this regard. Armenia’s status does not allow it to have its own opinion about the deepening of Russia-Azerbaijan relations.

Q: Is Russia defense minister’s working visit to Azerbaijan is linked with Russian Prime Putin’s visit to Turkey scheduled for August 6 which will focus also on Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

A: I would not say these visits are directly linked. But at the same time discussing Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict  in meetings between top leaders of Russia and Turkey is inevitable. Moreover, there is now momentum in the settlement of the conflict. In these circumstances, there is a need to make a final clarification of a number of challenging and just as important issues in Russia-Turkey relations with regard to the forthcoming visit to Turkey by Vladimir Putin and with regard to Russian defense minister’s visit to Azerbaijan.

/Day.Az/