ArmInfo: No significant changes should be expected in the Karabakh peace process in the foreseeable future: political expert

Yerevan, December 24. ArmInfo. 

No significant changes should be expected in the Karabakh peace process in the foreseeable future, Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute, political expert, told media, on Monday.

He thinks that the status-quo will be maintained within several years. And the reason is not diplomatic efforts, he said, but the military, propagandist and lobbyist balance that cannot be changed within a year.

The political expert said that the officials of the conflicting countries will further hold meetings, but the format of the meetings, whether it will be presidents or foreign ministers, depends on the interests of Russia and other leading actors.

Summing up the results of the leaving year from the viewpoint of Armenia's foreign political achievements, Iskandaryan said that Yerevan has managed to wage an extremely careful and weighted policy in the context of the processes around Armenia - in the Middle East and Georgia. 

As for the statements by Traian Hristea, Head of EU Delegation to Armenia, on the necessity of choosing between the EU and the Eurasian Union, Iskandaryan said that comparing these two organizations is like comparing "a nail and the moon."  "EU is an existing organization with definite policy. It is one of the most determined political organizations in the world comparing to which Moscow's initiative of Eurasian integration looks quite vague. How can Armenia join something that does not exist yet? " Iskandaryan said rhetorically. 

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Aden under curfew, as problem in Yemen's south deepens

Aden under curfew, as problem in Yemen's south deepens

The port city of Aden, in Yemen's south, has been put under curfew, as the rift in the country between  the Saudi led coalition which  backs Yemen's presidential governing council, and the southern forces led by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), deepens. Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami, a member of the Yemeni Presidential Governing Council and commander of the al-Amalik brigades, has ordered a curfew in the temporary capital, Aden, "to maintain security". "A curfew has been imposed throughout Aden Governorate from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., in accordance with the instructions of Commander Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami, a member of the Presidential Management Council," the statement said. It states that only security and military personnel, as well as medical and technical teams with approved permits, will be allowed to move in the area during these hours. Yemen's presidential council, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and which already is in a struggle with the Houthi Movement in the north of the country who also occupy the capital Sanaa, two days ago issued an order for the arrest of the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC),, Aidarous al Zubaidi. The STC have wide support among people in the South, and advocate that South Yemen restores its independence. The coalition warned of further escalation in Aden, long regarded as an STC stronghold, as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief accused STC leader Aidarous Al Zubaidi of “high treason” and announced the revocation of his membership in the governing body. The moves mark a sharp escalation in tensions within the anti-Houthi camp, despite National Shield Forces, rivals of the STC and former allies, having recently retaken control of Hadhramaut and Mahra from southern fighters. The STC’s takeover of the two regions last month angered Saudi Arabia and contributed to igniting the current internal conflict. (click the picture to read more)

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)