The efforts of the mediators in the Karabakh peace process failed mainly because the two major parties to the conflict are unwilling to accept the compromises necessary to get to a successful conclusion, considers Oxford professor, expert on Karabakh Neil MacFarlane.

“Russia has a strong relationship with Armenia and is trying to sustain a constructive relationship with Azerbaijan.

Karabakh makes that more complicated. So they have an interest in trying to achieve a settlement. But, as the Kazan meeting showed, they do not have the leverage necessary to persuade the parties to resolve their differences,” he told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

As to Russia’s role in the Karabakh peace process, he stressed that in the next few years Moscow will be more focused on internal issues, given the strong domestic political pressure that the government faces and will likely to continue to face.

The regular meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian President was held in Sochi on January 23. The sides issued a statement expressing readiness to continue the talks on settlement of the Karabakh conflict.