Expert: Karabakh issue can change face of region

May 16, 2011 - 15:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Karabakh issue, along with Iran and Caspian problems, can change the face of the region, according to the first vice president of Strategic Development Modeling Center.

“Still, compared to Iranian issue, Karabakh conflict is a local, tactical one, rather than strategic. Karabakh is kept in store to be used in order to clash those, who don’t strictly adhere to either Iranian or Caspian side, against each other,” Grigory Trofimchuk stated.

“Suppose Azerbaijan would risk seizing Karabakh by force: Karabakh becomes a closed enclave, which means Azerbaijan’s political format would remain unchanged, with Caucasus turned into a hot spot on top of it. It’s not ruled out that in such situation Nakhijevan would be taken away from Azerbaijan “as a moral and territorial compensation,” the expert remarked.

“In short, reintegrated Karabakh is a total outburst at Greater Caucasus, the repercussions of which cannot be foretold,” Novosti Azerbaijan quoted the expert as saying.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.