Armenia and Armenian diplomacy should be concerned over any Russian-Turkish rapprochement, Ruben Mehrabyan, expert for the Armenian Center for Political and International Research told NEWS.am, speaking of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s impending visit to Turkey and prospects of creation of a high-level cooperation council.

The expert believes that the unresolved Karabakh conflict is presently a powerful lever for Russia to maintain its influence in the region. “It will not lose grasp of leverage without finding an equivalent. I do not rule out a possibility that once Russia and Turkey come to an agreement, they will leave out the other actors, such as EU and U.S.,” Mehrabyan said. He added that no crucial developments are expected, despite the serious challenges facing Armenia.

“Armenia should be worth something to resist possible threats. In the 20th century to be worth something means to have a democratic system, with human rights respected, no political prisoners and primitive problems. These are Armenia’s tasks. I do not think that we will experience crucial changes in the near future, but we should make steps to withstand future challenges,” the expert said.

A.G.