Western states will try to draw Azerbaijan into possible military operations against Syria and Iran, an expert at the Russian Diaspora Institute said, advising Baku to distance itself from the involvement in the conflict.

"With Syria's ally Iran as Azerbaijan's neighbor, the conflict may escalate into an international one, with local nations to lose lives over the West’s political games,” Vitaly Zhuravlev said.

Dwelling on Karabakh conflict, he noted a new war in the republic to be unlikely. “A new war might lead to major human and material losses, to be followed by a social explosion and political repercussions. Responsible politicians cannot afford such games, with major damages and unpredictable results.”

“Instead, Armenia and Azerbaijan must focus on solving social issues and boost effectiveness of state administration and social policies,” Vesti.az quoted the expert as saying.