Karabakh Issue Settlement Key no More in Moscow: Fyodor Lukyanov
“Maybe Russia will assume more “incised” position in Karabakh issue, Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, and Research Director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, told 168.am, touching upon the four-day war recorded on NK conflict zone. He stated that they’ve thought for more than 20 years, that the situation in Karabakh will never “explode.”
Although, according to the Russian expert, absence of progress regarding political settlement, moods existent in Yerevan and Baku were hinting that not a single drop of hope is left between the parties, which might “explode” by the influence of certain external factors.
Particularly, touching upon accusations on Russia by Armenian and Azerbaijani circles, that Russia blocks final settlement of the conflict, Lukyanov stated he agreed, that both in Yerevan and Baku, the role of Moscow in conflict settlement is being much touched upon, that the settlement key is in Moscow, that unsettled conflict is beneficial to the Kremlin, as it provides influence levers towards the whole South Caucasus. According to him, such a stage was really existent. However, in Lukyanov’s conviction, that policy may no longer have negative implications, as existent unsettled conflicts in the post-Soviet space are no more local conflicts only. “They have already become a part of global developments and crisis,” Lukyanov said, adding that they are already difficult to control from outside as well.
Thus, in his conviction, impact of external actors, even if somewhat influenced, is useless to discuss. Speaking of Russia-led policy in Karabakh, he stated that by the Ukrainian conflict the period of engagement and confrontation of Russia in the post-Soviet space is over.
According to him, today not Russia’s engagement components—arms selling, mediation, should be discussed, but deeper mediation as well. “In the zones, where one of them is Karabakh, where there is no competition of world leading powers for impact, Russia may assume a more “incised” position, however, it should act with high constructivism, as a successful mediator. This need is available today,” Lukyanov said.
By Araks Martirosyan
