Russia to be active mediator in settling Karabakh conflict, Baku analysts believe

The visits of high-ranking Russian officials – the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev – to Armenia and Azerbaijan demonstrate the seriousness of Moscow's intentions to break the deadlock in the Karabakh settlement, Baku experts assert. In their opinion, Russia is interested in preventing the resumption of a large-scale war.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today Baku was visited by Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev, who announced Russia's strategic partnership with Armenia and Azerbaijan. On April 6, Baku hosted a meeting of Azerbaijani President and the Russia's Foreign Minister. Russia is ready to contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Sergey Lavrov.

According to Togrul Juvarly, a member of the Azerbaijani National Public Committee for European Integration (ANPCEI), Russia will carry out its peace initiatives under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group, and in consultation with other co-chairs – the United States and France.

According to Rustam Shakhsuvarov, the head of the analytical group "Left-Wing Socialists", solutions to the issue of the status may be different.

"It may be a very high status of autonomy, or a region with a special status, or, if they fail to agree on the final status, establishment of a temporary status as a territory under international control, like it was with Western Berlin," said the expert.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.