Current situation is a challenge not a change, Sergey Markedonov says
“The events of April have been the most serious escalation of the situation during the past 22 years. Yet they didn’t leave any significant mark on the settlement of the conflict,” Director of the Department for Problems of Ethnic Relations at the Institute for Political and Military Analysis in Moscow, political scientist, professor Sergey Markedonov told Panorama.am.
“In my recent speech in Washington, I’ve mentioned that the current situation is a challenge not a change,” Markedonov noted adding that the pun fully describes the situation.
“NKR status hasn’t changes. It is not yet recognized, but it also didn’t lose. The format of the negotiations hasn’t changed either. Yet Karabakh hasn’t turned into an open platform for a conflict between Russia and the West, unlike Donbas, Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” he said.
Concerning the importance of Moscow policy, the political scientist told Panorama.am that Kremlin balances the situation between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
According to Markedonov, Moscow will do everything to maintain the Status-quo, in case the parties of the conflict don’t find an acceptable solution.
“Such escalations can resume. The de-escalation problem hasn’t been resolved yet. I think it will be clear after May 19, after the ‘Formula 1’ is held in Baku,” Markedonov noted.
Concerning the results of the Vienna meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on May 16, the political scientist said the only positive outcome is that the negotiations have been resumed.
Commenting on Commander of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Zahid Huseynov’s announcement about acquiring 500km range missiles and using them against Yerevan in case of necessity, Sergey Markedonov noted that Kremlin will do everything to stop such developments.