MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: WHAT HIDES BEHIND AZERI OFFICIALS STATEMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net - The statement by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov about Armenia's readiness to return seven regions stirred up a clamor incited by the Azeri party among the Russian media even after the Armenian Foreign Ministry refuted it. The articles published in the Russian press often contradicted one another. On one hand the matter concerns "the volunteer return of the territories with the guarantee that Azerbaijan will not wage war" on the other hand there is hearsay that the Azerbaijani army can receive back the seven territories by force. Azeri opposition parties accuse the incumbent leadership of the inability to settle the Karabakh problem and call to restore Azerbaijan's territorial integrity by force. The opposition representatives assure that the Aliyev administration has a plan of resumption of hostilities in case the domestic situation deteriorates after the parliamentary elections. However Baku can apply force only with the "secret consent of US, Russia and… Armenia", some Russian sources report. According to Russian media, "lately the hearsay on US and Russia's consent for such developments has been spread in Baku. These countries are allegedly convincing Yerevan not to support Karabakh during the "little war", which will not touch Karabakh itself anyway. There is a version that after convincing the Armenian party Moscow and Washington can organize a demonstrative withdrawal of the Armenian troops from Azerbaijan. Then long and inefficient talks will start. Meanwhile some forces in Baku are celebrating victory and "generously" give OK to the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border - the fact Armenia to all appearances "cannot resist". However, despite discrepancies the Russian sources are tended to think that Mamedyarov's "sensational" statement is addressed first of all to the population of Azerbaijan on the threshold of the upcoming parliamentary elections, since with the help of such statements Ilham Aliyev will try to enlist the support of the voters to secure himself from possible revolution.