Parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are actively preparing for war, both Azerbaijan and Armenia, said famous military expert Pavel Felgenhauer.

One should not think that any of the parties will sit quietly waiting for the enemy to prepare for war, said Felgenhauer, reported RFE/RL.

The expert considers that major actors involved in the negotiation process are trying to reduce tension.

“Both the EU and Russia adhere to the position that everything should be done to rule out resumption of hostilities. If Russia deploys its peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone, it will be definitely good for Russia,” said Felgenhauer. 

However, the expert considers that peace agreement on settlement of the Karabakh conflict is out of question at the moment as “none of the parties is presently ready to make serious and fundamental concessions.”

“The war can easily escalate into a large-scale regional war, it should not be allowed,” he stressed adding that the war is unlikely to begin in 2011.