02/07/2013 16:41
‘Karabakh conflict’s military solution does not seem possible’
“A resolution of the Karabakh conflict by military means under the current geopolitical realities does not seem possible – there is quite a complex, multilevel system of balance in the region,” Russian political scientist, historian, political observer of Iran News Anton Yevstratov told Vesti.az news agency. He noted that Azerbaijan has a big military budget and a larger population than Armenia.
“But Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and Russia’s ally. Besides, Armenia’s warm relations with Tehran are well-known. At the same time, Azerbaijan enjoys support of Turkey and some, though not unconditional, support of NATO, given its pretty good relations with the Alliance (in particular, with the U.S.) So I doubt that any of the sides will assume responsibility for drawing the region in a big confrontation”, he said.
The expert noted that even if the countries involved in the conflict take such a decision, one can hope that “the conflict will be stopped by more influential players”.
Commenting on the recent military parade in Baku, the political scientist expressed confidence that any military events in Baku are related to the situation in Karabakh. “An attempt to demonstrate the military and technical superiority over Armenia is obvious here,” Yevstratov said.