Karabakh conflict is not a negotiable instrument between Russia and Azerbaijan despite many views to the opposite, according to an expert at the Institute of Political and Social Studies of the Black Sea and Caspian Region.

As Andrey Areshev told a news conference in Yerevan, “Karabakh issue is often used as a means of penetrating into South Caucasus in pursuit of personal goals, while direct understanding on the problem is virtually impossible.”

In this context, the expert cited rumors suggesting that in exchange for Baku’s permission to extend operation term at Qabala Radar Station, Moscow is ready to make concessions on Karabakh issue. “Azerbaijan denied rumors several days after they were spread. Clearly, Karabakh is not among the issues Russia can solve by upping pressure on the Armenian leadership. The Republic, although unrecognized, is a subject of global policy,” the expert stressed.