Situation in South Caucasus is stable and should remain soJune 21, 2007 - 17:58 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - "The situation in the South Caucasus is, for now, stable and should remain so, barring an unforeseen renewal of conflict over Nagorno Karabakh or other disputed territories, which could have deeply destabilizing consequences for the region," Mr Cory Welt, Deputy Director and Fellow of Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net "One concrete question involves the future of Georgia and NATO. Whether Georgia enters into a Membership Action Plan with NATO in the near future will have important consequences for its relations with its neighbors, most of all Russia. What we don't know, however, is whether a more realistic prospect of NATO membership for Georgia will pull Azerbaijan and even Armenia closer to the organization and whether such a situation would be tolerable to Moscow. On the other hand, if Georgia's integration with NATO stalls, this will also have a considerable impact on the region but exactly how is uncertain. Optimists suggest that Georgia's relations with Russia would improve, leading to a resolution of territorial conflicts and an increased atmosphere of stability in the region. Pessimists, however, are certain that this would only encourage Russia to continue keeping all three states of the Caucasus in a state of political and economic dependency," he said. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Pashinyan’s spokesperson denies intention to visit Baku for COP29 Pashinyan’s agenda doesn’t include a trip to Baku for the COP29 conference, his press secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan has said. Lithuania sending €100,000 to help Armenia fight floods consequences Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to social media to thank his Lithuanian counterpart for the contribution. Armenia: Rescue workers restore pedestrian bridge for flood-hit community Rescue workers on Wednesday, June 5 restored a pedestrian bridge in the town of Alaverdi in Armenia’s north. Turkey condemns Uruguay’s recognition of Armenian Genocide Turkey has condemned a newly passed law in Uruguay that recognizes the Armenian Genocide, TRT reports. |