RUSSIAN EXPERT CONSIDERS THAT RUSSIA CAN LOSE IRAN AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER

PanARMENIAN.Net - When commenting on the results of the talks between Iran and Russia over the Caspian problem, well-known Russian expert R. Safarov expressed opinion in an interview with Iran.ru that "if in the near future the state of affairs does not change, Russia's positions in the Caspian region will weaken with every day." "It seems to me that there is a tendency towards the weakening of Russia's position, a trend of inadequate attention towards the issue in question by the Russian leaders," Rajib Safarov says. Iran's and Russia's positions over Caspian issues do not coincide on principal matters, he considers. "What Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan suggest does not fit Iran at all," the expert continues. Safarov considers the supposition that Iran "has not place to go from Russia" "evidently erroneous." "Unfortunately, I have to state that at present the Russian leaders do not have a long-term program of deepening and expanding the Russian-Iranian cooperation." Establishing the fact of good relations Russian functionaries, in the expert's words, do absolutely nothing to flavor those relations. "However, politics is an inconstant value. New actions are necessary for maintaining the proper level of relations. From that point of view, unfortunately, the first symptoms of the crisis in the Russian-Iranian relations are available. And what is most irreparable: if in the near future Russia does not suggest Iran any new, breaking initiatives, there is large probability that it will lose Iran as a very important strategic partner maybe forever," says R. Safarov.