YEREVAN. - Russia-Iran-Azerbaijan triangle is certainly a diplomatic marathon, Former Armenian Deputy FM Arman Navasardyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am.
Russia works in these directions very actively, he said. “Currently, after this meeting, there is little Armenia should rejoice at. But I think this is not the end of Yerevan’s policy in the Iranian direction. I’ve got information that Iran doesn’t consider the issue closed. There is a declaration, but quite a lot of time is needed before that declaration becomes substantive,” Navasardyan noted.
In his words, the Caspian Sea problem is very important for Russia. “There is a status issue here. As a matter of fact, in 2017 a convention will be signed between Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia and other countries of the Caspian basin. Two years ago the first step in this direction was made: Washington’s military route to the Caspian Sea was closed,” he noted.
According to the former Deputy FM, multi-combinational games are going on here. “And the role of Azerbaijan as a link between Russia and Iran seems very uncertain to me. Baku will not change its political orientation. Azerbaijan is at the moment simply trying to play flexibly, which it manages quite well,” the diplomat said, at the same time explaining that Iran and Azerbaijan have numerous problems, which may rise any second.
To the question as to whether Azerbaijan’s attempts to raise its role in the region in the current geopolitical situation poses a threat to Armenia, the former Deputy FM stressed: “Azerbaijan is always trying to use any occasion, regardless of whether Baku will be included in the mentioned triangle or not; this is for sure. Of course, this will endanger the Karabakh conflict settlement; therefore we should work towards preventing such developments.”
Fight against terrorism is a very important point in the tripartite declaration of Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan, Navasardyan continued. “I think this is an artificial provision: What fight against terrorism can be touched on if Azerbaijan’s policy in Karabakh issue and overall towards Armenians is an example of classic terrorism? And this is continuing up to now. Unfortunately, we don’t manage to make it clear to the world that we are dealing with Azerbaijan’s Nazi xenophobia,” he said.
From the viewpoint of the international law, there is a UN resolution, which is called Remedial Secession, he added. “That is, if it is proves that an ethnic group is under the threat of elimination [in a certain country], it can automatically cease being part of that country. It is necessary to work in this direction,”the diplomat concluded.
