Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Dugin: "Russia must improve relations with Azerbaijan, because..."

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Dugin: "Russia must improve relations with Azerbaijan, because..."

    Today.Az, Azerbaijan
    Nov 1 2008


    Alexander Dugin: "Russia must improve relations with Azerbaijan,
    because Aliyev acted correctly and competently during the conflict in
    South Ossetia"

    01 November 2008 [11:55] - Today.Az


    The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia will meet in
    Moscow in the nearest future and this will be followed by their
    meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group on the Karabakh conflict
    resolution. After it the Presidents of the three countries will meet
    on November 2. The Karabakh problem has been deadlocked since 1994
    when the agreement on reconciliation came to power, while the
    conflict has been lasting for already 20 years. In the light of
    events in the Caucasus, it is possible to say that Russia's interests
    are more directed on Azerbaijan, while earlier Russia has been
    inclined towards Armenia.

    Alexander Dugin, famous political scientist, head of the Center of
    geopolitical expertise and leader of the international Eurasian
    movement, spoke of what Medvedev can offer on Nagorno Karabakh and the
    nature of the upcoming meetings in his interview to Nakanune.RU.

    - The trilateral meeting of the Presidents will be held on November 2
    for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Which steps are
    expected to be done during it and from which country are they
    expected?

    - It is now necessary to raise an issue of the exclusion of the US
    side from the format of the Minsk Group on the resolution of the
    Karabakh conflict as the United States take a nonconstructive
    position on the post-Soviet area and just worsen the problems.

    Now a new model of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan is being
    formed. They seem to be more perspective than ever. Nagorno Karabakh
    conflict settlement can not satisfy only the Azerbaijani side, for
    Russia had strategically supported Armenia before a definite
    moment. Armenians concluded a strategic partnership with us while
    Azerbaijan was inclined towards GUAM. After the crisis in Georgia the
    situation has changed significantly. Aliyev took a constructive
    position regarding Russia and did not support Georgia, which puts a
    positive shade on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

    Now everyone has his own position, Russia supported the quo status,
    spoke of the peaceful resolution and legally substantiated settlement
    of the problem, though accents were laid on Armenia.

    - Is the issue of the Karabakh recognition urgent for Moscow?

    - No, it is not. it is more important to establish strategic
    partnership with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Speaking in the sense of
    definite geopolitical interests, Russia needs at least the strategic
    neutrality of Turkey and alliance with Azerbaijan more than anything
    else in the regional scale in order to resist the Atlantic
    strategy. We have taken everything possible from the strategic
    alliance with Armenia and it can not give more to Russia, while most
    depends now on Turkey and Azerbaijan. Thus recognition of Karabakh is
    a maximally unfavorable situation, though, certainly, Russia is
    interested in the quo status and preservation of our bases in this
    territory. At the same time, we should take into account that Russia,
    as far as I know, has another project of deployment of Russian forces
    to Karabakh, withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from there and
    initiation of a new stage of settlement. During these projects the
    most important chain is a growing confrontation with the United
    States and NATO bloc and Russia's intention to settle regional
    problems without participation of the Americans, as they only create
    conditions for new interethnic clashes that we have witnessed from
    the example of the South Ossetia.

    - In this case, can Armenia become a "token coin" in this issue, as
    some experts say, for in fact the strategic interests of Russia are
    more connected with Azerbaijan?

    - I think Armenia will not become a token coin in the Russian game as
    we have much in common with Armenians. Armenia is the CSTO member,
    we have a large Armenian diaspora and we have friendly and partner
    relations with this country. No exchange is spoken of here. On the
    other hand, Russia starts to think more not over the abstract
    principles in the international policy but of its own strategic
    interests. In this sense most depends on Azerbaijan. The symbolic
    gesture towards Turkey, which is in fact not interested in the
    resolution of the Karabakh problem, is more important.

    There is a myth that Azerbaijan and Turkey are the same, but these are
    completely different countries, despite the historical closeness of
    these peoples and it should be taken into account. Turks do not care
    about the Azerbaijani conflict. Once active in the Caucasus policy,
    they need to preserve their statehood, which is on the verge of
    collapse due to the US intervention with Iraq. Turkey obviously does
    not have time for Karabakh. But in the symbolical sense, Karabakh is
    an issue, which has a definite nominal weight in Turkey. Therefore,
    today Russia needs to improve relations with Azerbaijan, especially
    because Aliyev acted correctly and competently during the South
    Ossetian conflict. Many interesting geopolitical perspectives are
    opening for Russia.

    - You have already spoken of the Russian project on the problem
    settlement. What can Medvedev offer to the parties?

    - Yes, there is a plan, I have been speaking of and it envisions the
    deployment of the Russian peacekeepers and the initiation of the
    process of the return of civilians to Karabakh after the ethnic
    cleaning,

    On the other hand, the self-legitimacy of borders can be challenged,
    as within the framework of a single state of the USSR, borders were
    not of state importance, they played a role of division into regions,
    like division of Moscow into districts. But it was difficult to
    imagine Southern or Central districts to declare its independence. It
    is important to realize that the borders that we are speaking of are
    certain conditions, which were recognized as dogmas of international
    law without any historical ground and without consideration of ethnic
    factors. Naturally, this caused numerous differences, including the
    Karabakh conflict. I am confident that any annexation of this
    territory to Azerbaijan is unreal. Yes, it was administratively under
    Azerbaijan's control, but Armenians lived there since ancient.

    Armenians have definite negotiation positions in the resolution of
    this status, but the most important thing will be to expel the United
    States from this negotiation process as an absolutely destructive,
    backward and immoral power, which worsens the situation, wherever it
    comes and creates conditions for new conflicts.

    We can not take any side, there are no "good or bad guys, these are
    Americans that turn these or those countries into such "guys". As we
    will remove them from this process, the situation will change, while
    the European Union is a way reasonable. Europeans should be allowed to
    this process. Medvedev has a plan and definite ideas, but the most
    important idea is to weaken US influence in this area.

    - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan offered to recognize the right of
    the Karabakh people for self-determination. What can you say about
    it?

    - Now Karabakh is inhabited only by Armenians, while Azerbaijanis also
    lived there for long. The territory is mixed. We can not say that the
    conflict was initiated by any of the parties, there are no right or
    wrong sides in the ethnic conflicts. In fact, Azerbaijanis were
    deported from there, they feel bad, it can be said that, perhaps,
    this is their fault, but it is really unfair. Therefore, the problem
    settlement can be arranged in a form of any substantiated
    compromise. But, in other words, "people of Karabakh" now live both
    in Karabakh and out of its bounds. Tens and hundreds thousands of
    refugees from Karabakh are also the people of Karabakh. Therefore,
    the recognition of Karabakh can hardly be expected. As for the
    expression of will by the Karabakh people, I think most people know
    that international policy has such a concept as "double standard". It
    can not be used independently. We also have our preferences. If
    something meets our interests and values, we will adopt a definite
    decision.

    In such cases all depends on the factor of power, on the political
    system, functioning in the potentially separatist regions, adjustment
    of their model with the federal center, whether they have external
    supporters and many other things. It means that the very factor of
    will expression by people works in some cases and does not work in
    others.

    - Do you think the conflict in South Ossetia had an impact on the
    Karabakh problem?

    - It did not have a direct influence, merely everything has become
    clear now. The United States recognized Kosovo but do not recognize
    South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as it is not profitable for them. Russia
    was hesitating for long to occupy this asymmetric position, but it
    could be taken without thousands of civilians of Tskhinkhali who
    fell victims. It is only left to learn who would profit from the
    recognition of Nagorno Karabakh.

    It can be said that today the Katabakh issue is strategically neutral
    for us. Some time ago the advantage was on the Armenian side, while
    Azerbaijan was inclined towards GUAM, rusophobian frond with
    Yushchenko and Saakashvili, while after August the situation has
    changed dramatically and the advantage directed to Baku. Certain small
    progress is recorded and the problem understanding has
    expanded. Meanwhile, Armenian sides starts to "flirt" more with the
    United States, in some cases strict Atlantic positions are recorded
    under Sargsyan, which was not observed during Kocharyan's term. The
    United States work and try to "take" Armenia away from Russia. Though
    strange it is profitable for us as thus they create conditions for us
    to significantly improve relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

    /Day.Az/


    URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/48679.html
Working...
X