Russia will not allow Turkey or any other state to get closer to Karabakh conflict settlement

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lavrov's visit on the one hand was called to "calm" Armenia on the part of the Karabakh conflict and on the other it was to show Baku its place, as even in the new year the latter has not ceased to swing a club and talk about the "return of her territories". It should be noted to the Russian Minister's credit that he completed his mission brilliantly, declaring that the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh can never be decided without taking into account the opinion of its own people. This statement of Lavrov's provoked a storm in the Azerbaijani media, which found nothing better than asking Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin about his opinion on the Minister's statement. The answer was natural: "I can not comment on my minister." The Foreign Ministry had also come to arrange another meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. It was no coincidence that especially on that day the Turkish press reported on a proposed Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting in Moscow in late January. Apparently, Russia has decided to openly show in whose hands the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is. Moreover, in all probability France and the United States have agreed to this. Position of the West is reasonable: it has its own problems: crisis, Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear program, so there is neither time nor energy for Karabakh.

The only thing worrying the Armenian side (and not without reason) is Turkey's attempts to interfere in the settlement process. But here, for lack of imagination, once again comes forth the issue of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols in the Turkish Parliament. In Moscow, they made it clear for Prime Minister Erdogan that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Armenian-Turkish relations are two big differences, as it is said in Odessa. Perhaps that was the reason that the cheerful statements of Turkish officials about brotherly Azerbaijan someway cooled down. Really, how long is it possible to stand this situation, especially, as we have been repeatedly writing, these are only unfounded words. Both Ankara and Baku understand this. Nevertheless, they make statements which, by the way, are more designed for Yerevan.

Seriously speaking, every party that one way or another is interested in participating in the process of conflict regulation, has many top-priority problems, whose solution, for example for Turkey and Azerbaijan, is more important than Nagorno-Karabakh. Generally speaking, this is good: the less attention Stepanakert absorbs, the better. The conflict, if it can be called so, is in its lingering phase, which may last indefinitely. Or, perhaps, not so long: it all depends on the term of office of the Aliyev clan.

Ankara has a number of troubles: the Kurds, the Cyprus question, national minorities, recognition of its own history of the Ottoman times.

Baku too: national minorities, misbehavior of its ambassadors abroad, the decline of oil production, unrealized gas pipelines (Nabucco, White Stream), general atmosphere of the totalitarian regime.

Yerevan has its own problems, but they are not regional issues and therefore are not that serious. Armenia has to deal with purely internal conflicts, which by and large do not affect the overall state of affairs.

Last of all, on 18 January President of Armenia goes to Moscow and on 20 January the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs arrive in the region. There will be just another non-binding meeting between the Presidents, of course if suddenly Aliyev does not start to play an offended child, who has been deprived of a toy. So, nothing new should be expected. And whether Aliyev will leave for Moscow or not, no longer means a lot.