January 20, 2011 - 12:10 AMT
Anatoliy Tsyganok: Caspian Sea division and Karabakh major problems in Caucasus

The Caspian Sea division is the major problem in the Caucasus at the moment, according to Director of Center of Military Forecasting.

“During the period between December 2009 and December 2010 a war with Azerbaijan could burst out, but a decision not to deteriorate the situation was taken,” Professor of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Russian Federation, Anatoliy Tsyganok, told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

“The second major problem is the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The OSCE Minsk Group can’t achieve understanding either in Yerevan or Baku. Talks produce no result, as the positions of the sides are quite opposite. The heads of state have a unanimous opinion on one point: the settlement should be peaceful, while Nagorno Karabakh should be granted security guarantees and international status. A referendum should be held. Withdrawal of troops can be possible only in case of their replacement by peacekeepers from the CIS but not from the co-chair countries,” he said.