CIS States Institute expert Mikhail Alexandrov commented on recent statement of Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, who wanted clarification on Karabakh before signing a Customs Union accession roadmap with Armenia.

"Though with reservation, Kazakhstan is ready to sign a roadmap on Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union. Kazakhstan, however, demands clarification on the issue of the CU borders in connection with the Nagorno Karabakh issue," the President said.

"The Nagorno Karabakh Republic is not a part of Armenia, even from the viewpoint of Armenian legislation, so there's no possibility to include Karabakh in the Customs Union territory," the expert said.

"NKR is an independent - though unrecognized – state. It has to independently apply for the CU accession, also expressing readiness to assume all CU-related obligations in unilateral manner, to rule out issues that might arise from economical interaction with Armenia,” the expert noted.

"Nazarbayev’s statement was meant to demonstrate concern over Azerbaijan’s position. It serves no practical purpose, being unable to hamper Armenia’s accession to the CU,” the expert concluded.