The words voiced by Azerbaijani official Novruz Mammadov, casting doubt on efficiency of Russia’s activities within the OSCE Minsk Group is a regular statement intended for domestic policy, Alexander Rahr, Director of the Russian/Eurasia Program, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), told NEWS.am.

Voicing such statements Azerbaijani officials get ready for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Azerbaijan, he noted. The expert stressed that the statement will neither affect the Armenian-Russian nor Azerbaijani-Russian relations. “I have heard this since the OSCE Minsk Group was formed. This statement is not new and will not have consequences,” Rahr concluded.

In an interview with the Azerbaijani APA agency, Chief of the Foreign Relations Department of the Azerbaijani Presidential Novruz Mammadov said that Baku is not concerned over the agreement prolonging Russia’s military presence in Armenia. According to him, Azerbaijan is attentively following the regional and international processes. “I consider that the Russian-Armenian protocol will not create serious threat for us. The fact is that this status-quo existed before as well and Russia and Armenia considered such mutual military assistance within the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Now they are renewing and extending it. Russia promised to support Armenia and tried to substantiate its decision. But there are some issues surprising us,” he stated.

“First, the international community didn’t make any concrete and substantial statement on this issue. Spokesman for the US State Department said that this was cooperation between two countries and they understand that and didn’t intend to interfere in the bilateral cooperation between two countries. But one of these two countries is Armenia, an invader country. Such level of support to the invader country is contradictory to the norms and principles of international law. It is not difficult to understand the essence of support to such country.

Second, Russia takes the neutral status and participates in the process of solution to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But it is difficult to be a non-party mediator making such statements and giving support. All of these can not be packed within same frame. The main issue is that,” Mammadov added.