AZERI CONFLICT ANALYST: RUSSIA PREVENTS US FROM SOLVING KARABAKH ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net - With some delay the Bush Administration welcomed the outcomes of the latest summit of GUUAM leaders in Kishinev. It is remarkable that almost half of the statement text is dedicated to the settlement of the conflict in Transdniestria, reported the Echo Baku newspaper. The statement notes, "The U.S. welcomes Ukraine's interest and its efforts to search for a settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict." When making this statement U.S. Permanent Representative to the OSCE Paul Jones called Transdniestria representatives to resume talks over the conflict settlement, demanding that "the separatist authorities to refrain from provocative actions." When commenting on this statement by the U.S., head of the Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution of Azerbaijan Elhan Mehtiyev said that in his opinion along with the Transdniestrian issue Washington will display strong interest toward settlement of other conflicts in the territory of GUUAM in the future. However, this will be the case only under certain conditions. "In the future the U.S. interest toward the solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict may increase, - stated the conflict analyst, - however in this case they support the initiative of solving the Transdniestrian conflict as it is authored by Yuschenko. At present the Western countries strongly sympathize Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, as democratic election and revolutions were held there. The U.S. takes those countries as independent states heading for the West to get integrated with the Euro-Atlantic structures and the EU. Within this context Americans approach to the Transdniestrian settlement." One cannot say that the U.S. does not does not pay attention to the Karabakh issue, the conflict analysts says, "however they show greater interest toward the Transdniestrian and South-Ossetian problems at present, as the EU closely works over the draft of their settlement as well. As of Azerbaijan, they always say they are dealing with the issue within the Minsk Group framework." At that E. Mehtiyev is convinced that "if radical democratic reforms are held in Azerbaijan, our country will gain the upper hand with the assistance of the Americans. The availability of authoritarian systems in our country and Armenia and the strong influence of Russia prevents the US from engaging in the solution of the Karabakh issue to its full capacity."