Russia may seek to preserve the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh, and not resolve it, said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia George Kent, speaking at the Internet seminar organized by the Washington Non-Governmental Organization “Turkish Heritage”. This is reported by TASS.
“I expect the growth of dissatisfaction of the Azerbaijani authorities by the fact that Russian peacekeepers seem to remain for the long-term perspective in Nagorno-Karabakh,” said Kent.
At the same time, the Kent, describing the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, in fact, accused Russia in the desire to tighten the conflict. He quoted the unnamed deputy head of the Georgian Foreign Ministry. “One of the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia said in November:” This is the situation in which we were in 1998. Then Azerbaijan will be in the situation in which we were in 2008. And then he will be in the situation in which we are now, “the employee of the American Foreign Ministry said.
“This is rather pessimistic, but perhaps a realistic assessment of how Russia manipulates the conflict in Karabakh to obtain its own benefit and without aspiration in reality to resolve the problem and allow Armenia and Azerbaijan to move forward,” says Kent.
At the same time, the Kent assured that the United States welcomes the cessation of hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia: “We all welcome the completion of hostilities in November last year, when Putin put forward the cease-fire conditions.”
According to the American diplomat, “in terms of safety, a major challenge is maintained: how to approach the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh in such a way that it allowed two countries to achieve a final agreement on the final status.” “… Azerbaijan can be perceived as a winning war. However, this does not lead to the settlement of the crisis – just as Armenia may have won the first quarter of a century a century ago,” said Kent.
“Another open question remains Russia’s intention,” said Kent. “Russia decided not to achieve coordination of the cease-fire conditions through the mechanism of the co-chairs of the Minsk Group … It provided it directly … in a trilateral format,” said American diplomat.
Kent stressed that the United States keeps readiness to provide Azerbaijan and Armenia to assist in resolving the conflict, if Baku and Yerevan are interested in this: “To such an extent, in which Armenia and Azerbaijan are committed to the peaceful settlement and use of the powers of the Minsk Group co-chairs, the United States remains Ready to help two countries find the way forward and committed to this. “
In addition, Kent predicted that “it potentially opens up other beneficial opportunities,” including warming in the future relationship between Armenia and Turkey.