There are two preconditions for resumption of Karabakh peace process: Baku's closer relations with Russia and the shift in Turkey's approach to regional developments, according to a Russian expert.
"The latest indicative event is the visit of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney to Baku and the way he was received. Cheney arrived in Azerbaijan to enlist support for formation of an anti-Russian coalition. However, President Ilham Aliyev, who has known Cheney for a long time, did not even come to the airport to welcome the guest. Furthermore, during the conversation Cheney was clearly given to understand that Azerbaijan will strain relations with Moscow. Later, Aliyev offered Russia to export a part of Azeri oil through Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, thus questioning expediency of Baku-Ceyhan, which was a U.S. initiative," Alexander Kuznetsov, senior expert at Russian Center of Geopolitical Expertise, said.
"Another precondition is the shift in Turkey's approach to regional developments. Turkey has become more realistic, what was proved by landmark visit of President Gul to Armenia. In this respect, it makes sense to think of replacement of U.S. and EU representatives in OSCE Minsk Group by Turkish and Iranian representatives. The Karabakh process is complicated and it wouldn't be logic to suppose that the 20-year-old problem can be resolved within several months. But one thing is clear: it must be resolved. Acting as a constructive mediator, Russia will refute all accusations of "attempts to revive the soviet empire," and will gain authority in the CIS," the expert wrote in an article posted on Geopolitika.ru.
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