October 4, 2006 - 15:09 AMT
Stratfor Experts Don't Believe in Karabakh Settlement till Yearend
The analysts of Stratfor, a security consulting intelligence agency, do not consider that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be settled till the end of the year even in case of a new round of talks. Azerbaijan is reinforcing its army but has not made big achievements yet. Meanwhile, according to the experts, during the next three months Azerbaijan will have a new source of income - a gas pipeline will be put into operation in addition to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. The Stratfor analysts suppose that the Georgian conflicts will aggravate and the referendum in South Ossetia scheduled for October 12 will worsen the situation. Georgia will long to strengthen ties with the West, first of all with the United States. Russia will try to encourage separatist movements and undertake steps to hinder the possibility Georgia's joining the NATO, the experts say, reported RFE/RL.