“Iran is one of those few countries of he world, which pursues its own policy. They can be counted on fingers. No matter how strange it may seem, Iran is included in them. It survived severe sanctions, which closed world energy market for it. Iran, surely, makes use of Russia, it rather actively used it in the period of sanctions, however, Russia also reckons on Iran. It’s a mutually beneficial political game. Sometimes Iran is a partner, sometimes—an ally, and sometimes—a companion, i.e. relations between Russia and Iran are multilayer.”
Neil Macfarlane, professor of International Relations at Oxford University, specialist on Russia and the South Caucasus, PhD in political science, positively assessed the process by the MG towards making presidential meeting frequent, launched after the April war. In his words, currently the Russian side seemingly puts forward its separate plans in Nagorno-Karabakh, attempting to move towards the direction of cooperation with the USA and France, with the perspective of settling wider relations with the West.
Germany as an OSCE chairing country “seeks to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, said to journalists today in Tbilisi.
“We highly appreciate the efforts of all the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries aimed at organizing meetings at the highest level. However, at least it is improper, when not France – the inviting side, but one of the invitees voices the French proposal which is still under consideration.”
Jafarov detailed that it refers Akna (Aghdam), Varanda (Fizuli) and Mekhakavan (Jabrail) regions. Jafarov considers that Azerbaijan is ready to become a member of Eurasian Economic Union for the return of those territories and by that enter into the “game.”
