April 23, 2008 - 17:00 AMT
Karabakh conflict to be resolved at expense of Georgia?
The U.S.-Russia opposition in Transcaucasia is a temporary factor, said head of the Transcaucasia division at the Institute of CIS Studies.

"With Bush coming to power, the U.S. launched expansion over the post soviet space aiming to surround Russia by unfriendly states. Russia had to response. Presently, the U.S. is getting weaker and experiencing a serious economic crisis. It has to leave Eurasia, first of all Afghanistan and Iraq. Deterioration of domestic problems will result in impossibility of maintaining military bases in countries not critical for the American security," Mikhail Alexandrov said.

The policy on Transcaucasia will be traditionally determined by Russia, Turkey and Iran, according to him.

"Under the circumstances, Georgia will be the one responsible for the past developments. Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be finally granted independence. Adjaria, Javakheti and Azeri-inhabited Marneul region will get out of Tbilisi's control. Georgia will apparently break into Mingrelia, Guria and Eastern Georgia," he said.

"The Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be resolved at this expense. Azerbaijan stands a good chance to receive Marneul region in exchange for Karabakh. This plan seems the most real after the West abandons the region," he said, Nakanune.ru reports.