In regard to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the West will now support the principle of territorial integrity so that it doesn’t encourage the Russian Federation with regard to Crimea and other issues. This is what German political scientist Alexander Rahr said during a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Is it likely for the negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to eventually resume within the format of the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group, especially since two of the co-chairing countries — U.S. and France — regularly declare that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict hasn’t been resolved and that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is not clear? In response, the political scientist said he couldn’t predict this.

“It’s hard to say since a lot has changed. Ever since the last war broke out, Europe said the territory belongs to Azerbaijan, but doesn’t speak very openly about this. Over the past decade, many conflicts, including the conflicts in Crimea and South Ossetia have scared the European Union. In the beginning, that is, during the war in Kosovo, Europe supported the principle that it is necessary to protect the rights of minorities and the peoples living in those territories, etc.

When Russia did what it did in Crimea, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the West very quickly changed its position and simply became afraid, and now, Europe says territorial integrity is above everything else. This favors Azerbaijan, which may say that Nagorno-Karabakh was a part of Azerbaijan during the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

Now the West will stay true to this stance so that it doesn’t encourage Russia with regard to Crimea and other issues. All this is a policy of double standards, and there is no international law here,” Alexander Rahr said.