Richard Giragosian: regional atmosphere unfavorable for Clinton visit

June 29, 2010 - 13:36 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - There is a danger of unexpected war in Karabakh conflict zone, according to Richard Giragosian, director of Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS).

“In case of war, it’s important for Armenia to decide on the tactics. Should the response to Azeri aggression be weak, Azerbaijan can escalate hostilities. Should the response be strong, it might bring to a fiercer aggression.

Commenting on the statement issued by the Presidents of OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair countries, Giragosian noted that the superpowers attempted to bring Azerbaijan back to negotiations.

“Azerbaijan is disappointed with the peace talks,” he said.

As to the forthcoming visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the expert said the atmosphere in the region is not favorable.

“Azerbaijan behaves as a naughty child, who wants a candy. But instead of punishing, the international community prefers to give candies to calm Baku down,” Giragosian said.

“Being the dominating force in the region, Armenia is not a threat for regional security, unlike Azerbaijan,” he concluded.