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PUTIN'S BAKU TRIP ALARMING BUT NOT AWESOME - OPINIONS
16:44 13.08.13
With Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to Azerbaijan being
high on the regional agenda, the Armenian political circles remain
relatively balanced in their opinions on the issue.
The political analyst Levon Shirinyan says the visit is quite normal
if viewed from the angle of the bilateral relations' agenda. But
from the regional viewpoint, he says, it is a little bit alarming,
especially for Armenia.
"The is felt not only in Armenia and [Nagorno-]Karabakh, but also
in Turkmenistan and Iran, because they too, have problems with
Azerbaijan. This is a regional issue," he said in comments told
Tert.am. "Russia is our strategic ally - perhaps officially - but
we know historically that it was Russia that had our country divided
between the Turks and the Georgians. So we mustn't forget the history"
Putin is travelling to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, the visit being the
first since his being elected a president. Earlier reports said that
the Russian leader will be accompanied by a big delegation, as well
as cruisers.
"It is also important that Azerbaijan - while starting an approximation
process with Europe - is not seeking for the Association [Agreement]
process, but rather trying to gain advantages.
"Azerbaijan has adopted the right approach to the so-called Customs
Union which is overestimated for Putin. And they are trying to
gain maximum benefits, also in relation to the Karabakh issue,"
Shirinyan added.
Aghasy Yenokyan, the director of the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies (ACNIS), thinks that major complication may
arise in autumn while the initialing of the Association Agreement is
in process.
"Russia has a clear-cut agenda in relation to the Karabakh issue. [It
plans] to deploy Russian troops in Azerbaijan, either in the form of
peacekeepers or through the return of the military base. But Azerbaijan
will never naturally agree to that; hence the hopes for breaking the
stalemate in the relations will remain vain," he said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/08/13/putin-visit-az/
16:44 13.08.13
With Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to Azerbaijan being
high on the regional agenda, the Armenian political circles remain
relatively balanced in their opinions on the issue.
The political analyst Levon Shirinyan says the visit is quite normal
if viewed from the angle of the bilateral relations' agenda. But
from the regional viewpoint, he says, it is a little bit alarming,
especially for Armenia.
"The is felt not only in Armenia and [Nagorno-]Karabakh, but also
in Turkmenistan and Iran, because they too, have problems with
Azerbaijan. This is a regional issue," he said in comments told
Tert.am. "Russia is our strategic ally - perhaps officially - but
we know historically that it was Russia that had our country divided
between the Turks and the Georgians. So we mustn't forget the history"
Putin is travelling to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, the visit being the
first since his being elected a president. Earlier reports said that
the Russian leader will be accompanied by a big delegation, as well
as cruisers.
"It is also important that Azerbaijan - while starting an approximation
process with Europe - is not seeking for the Association [Agreement]
process, but rather trying to gain advantages.
"Azerbaijan has adopted the right approach to the so-called Customs
Union which is overestimated for Putin. And they are trying to
gain maximum benefits, also in relation to the Karabakh issue,"
Shirinyan added.
Aghasy Yenokyan, the director of the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies (ACNIS), thinks that major complication may
arise in autumn while the initialing of the Association Agreement is
in process.
"Russia has a clear-cut agenda in relation to the Karabakh issue. [It
plans] to deploy Russian troops in Azerbaijan, either in the form of
peacekeepers or through the return of the military base. But Azerbaijan
will never naturally agree to that; hence the hopes for breaking the
stalemate in the relations will remain vain," he said.
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2013/08/13/putin-visit-az/