May 5, 2014 - 15:42 AMT
Karabakh war detrimental to Europe, U.S., expert says

The chief of the Russian Center of Military Prognosis is confident no war in Karabakh will break out in the next 2 years.

According to Anatoliy Tsiganok, the West is concerned it might be left without gas supply over the developments of the Ukraine crisis. "Europe needs gas sources alternative to Russian ones, with Azerbaijan one of them. A war in Karabakh, which will cut its gas supply, is disadvantageous to Europe."

"Kirghizstan, Uzbekistan, Russia being the main pullout routes for withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan, 30% will be transported through Azerbaijan and Armenia to Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. So, resumption of hostilities in the countries to serve as a transit point during the pullout in the next 2 years would be detrimental to the U.S."

"The 2008 Georgian-Ossetian war revealed weak and strong points of Western military. Georgian forces, armed and trained in accordance to NATO standards, clashed and were defeated by the battle-trained Russian army in Tskhinvali. Azeri army was also trained in line with NATO standards, in contrast to Armenian one."

"Azerbaijan can have the security area only in case of the Nagrono Karabakh Republic recognition. No military actions will work here, with Armenia to be protected under CSTO regulations," Kaspiy quoted Tsiganok as saying.