Ariel Cohen: U.S. may not have as much attention to Karabakh conflict in 2011December 20, 2010 - 13:56 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The forecast for 2011 on Nagorno Karabakh is disappointing, according to Heritage Foundation's leading expert on Eurasia Ariel Cohen. “The conflict hardly has a prospect of a breakthrough, especially since the parties had missed such a wonderful opportunity as the OSCE summit,” Cohen stated. He said the United States may not have as much attention to this conflict in 2011, before the forthcoming presidential elections in 2012. In addition, 2011 will be a crucial, if not critical year for the operations of coalition forces in Afghanistan, Cohen said. “This means that the U.S. will have other priorities, and Washington, judging by recent statements of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will circumscribe its role even in regard to an important conflict, such as the Middle East,” Cohen said. “So intractable conflicts, in which the prospects for immediate political and public relations dividend for Washington are small, and a threat to national security is also limited, offer a lower priority for the U.S. administration, especially given the continuing difficulties with the country's economic situation,” Trend News quoted Cohen as saying. 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 | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |