Russia trying to dissociate itself from Karabakh conflict

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia is de facto trying to dissociate itself from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and doesn't want to come to loggerheads with anyone, a Russian politician said.



"Statements and declarations do not help but Russian presence foils any attempt to resolve Caucasus conflicts by use of force," Viatcheslav Igrunov, Director of the International Institute for Humanities and Political Studies, member of Russian Duma in 1993-2003, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



"Certainly, Russia would like to have the entire South Caucasus as an outpost. But the fact is that Russia doesn't have sufficient influence on Azerbaijan, so the republic's concerns about possible shift in the Russian policy are quite understandable," he said.



At the same time, Mr. Igrunov noted that Russia's positions in the South Caucasus strengthened after the 5-day August war. "First, Russia managed to stop NATO expansion eastwards. Second, the Moscow declaration of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was signed. Third, there will be no armed conflict in the Caucasus in the near future. Besides, the Caucasian mentality seems to have changed. So, I do not see negative consequences of the August war," he said.