YEREVAN. – Either the US is unable to have an influence on the parties and we have an unmanageable neighbor (Azerbaijan), or it is not too significant for the US as to what happens, even if this were to become a local confrontation, Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party member and former MP Stepan Safaryan said, during a press conference on Thursday, commenting on the current tense situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in parallel with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s visit to the region.    

In his view, it is apparent that Clinton’s presence cannot restrain Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev. 

“Azerbaijan is trying to prove to its society that they are capable of returning [Nagorno-]Karabakh. But, at the same time, all this is a sounding out as to clarify the international community’s reaction to all this,” noted Safaryan.

He expressed a view that the US must have solid bases for visiting Armenia, because US secretaries of state have not come to the country often. Safaryan maintained that such visits commenced after signing of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, and this shows that opening of the border is very important for the US.    

Stepan Safaryan also noted that the geographical scope of Clinton’s visit likewise says something.

“When the world is concerned about Iran’s nuclear program, when Germany gives aircraft carriers to Israel, [and] when there is chaos in Syria, the United States cannot disregard even Armenia,” stated Safaryan. 

Photo by Sona Barseghyan