Ukrainian expert to Azerbaijan: Karabakh will not be exchanged for gas

PanARMENIAN.Net - Azerbaijan will certainly seek maximum benefit from its 2012-2013 non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council, promoting its position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement, a Ukrainian expert said.

According to Oleg Smirnov, after Russia’s failure to achieve tangible results in Karabakh talks, Brussels and Washington are trying to intensify their position in the process viewing the conflict as an obstacle to the implementation of their energy plans in the Caucasus.

“EU always strived to diversify hydrocarbon from the Caspian Sea natural resources, while the traditional interest of French, British and American oil giants in Azerbaijani oil deposits can greatly foster the process,” he said, adding that the Azerbaijani government will once again try to play the “energy card” in South Caucasian energy projects in an exchange for Western support in Karabakh issue,” the expert noted.

According to Smirnov, that was the reason for the failure of Kazan talks.

Dwelling on international human rights organizations’ constant criticism of poor human rights protection in Azerbaijan, he said: “This explains Washington’s opposition to Azerbaijan’s non-permanent membership at the UN Security Council, and Nicolas Sarkozy’s preferences in the Caucasus. That’s why Karabakh will not be exchanged for gas.”

Nevertheless, Smirnov refused to give any forecasts saying that the superpowers are decision-makers at the UN Security Council, Analitika.at.ua reports.