RUSSIA KEEPS PARITY IN KARABAKH CONFLICT, RUSSIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST CONSIDERS

PanARMENIAN.Net - The outcomes of the conflict settlement at the CIS territory during the recent years do not encourage, leading specialist of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dina Malisheva writes in the article titled "CIS Conflict Zones and New World Order" published in Novaya Politika Russian newspaper. In her opinion, due to the fact that post-soviet conflicts were just "frozen" but not settled, the threat of their resumption still exists and may result in destabilization both in the states of the region and in Russia. The US and other Western states are interested in the settlement of these conflicts, which can impede the realization of their economic projects, Malisheva considers. At the same time, according to her, many American and European politicians are sure that the post-soviet conflicts can be settled without Russia's interference. As regards the Karabakh conflict, Russia keeps parity, giving to understand that Armenia and Azerbaijan present equal interest to it. "However, Russia is not going to yield its place in the peacemaking processes, which corresponds to its weight and influence in the Caucasus", Malisheva noted adding that Moscow is ready to develop dialogue with all the interested parties and become a guarantor of peaceful agreements. Russia must be reckoned with as it is developing strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan and in the near future will preserve its military and economic presence in Armenia. It is clear that the condition of the Russian-American relations will determine the political atmosphere at the post-soviet territory.