28 October 2008, 13:31
Russia wants to deploy troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, experts think
In the opinion of analysts, the interest of Russia in speeding up the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is exclusively caused by its desire to deploy its troops in the so-called "safety zones" - near the borders of the former NKAO (Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Okrug).
These territories have been a stumbling-block in the process of settlement for 14 years already. The return of the territories and deployment of peacekeepers in the border are the elements of the so-called "Madrid Proposals" of the Minsk OSCE Group - the mediator in Karabakh settlement. Whose troops are deployed around the NKAO - Russian or Western, they will make the whole Southern Caucasus the respective zone of influence. Until now, no troops are there, since the co-chairs of the Minsk group - USA, Russia and France - cannot agree, whose troops should be deployed there, the Lragir.am writes.
"The Armenia's diplomatic 'manoeuvres' (stating its readiness to return the territories with no intention in fact to do it) rely exclusively on the absence of international consensus on the issue. The official Yerevan is convinced that should Americans demand to return the territories, Russian will object, and should Russians press on, Americans will object. Until now, this mechanism has worked OK, and whenever negotiations reached a certain peak, the process reversed by 180 degrees, and everything was back at its starting point," the edition writes.
"One should expect that the tripartite summit in Moscow of three Presidents initiated by Russia will start the end of the 'Madrid' principles, as it is abundantly clear that the international community has no chance to reach consensus on territories," the edition concludes.
