Strengthening of Turkey, Azerbaijan at Armenian expense not good for Moscow

It is no good for Russia, if Turkey and Azerbaijan gain strength at the expense of Armenia, director of the Oriental Studies Institute at the Armenian Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan has announced.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that at a meeting with the Russian president he intended to discuss the Karabakh issue. According to him, Vladimir Putin’s attention towards the issue is of high importance. And if Putin focuses upon the issue, “it will be easy to settle.”

According to Safrastyan, despite aspirations demonstrated by the Turkish leadership towards closer relations with Moscow, the regional rivalry of the two countries has not disappear. There many contradictions between Russia and Turkey, a NATO member, and the current rapprochement under certain issue cannot wash away this rivalry.

“On these grounds, Russia will not allow settlement of the Karabakh issue without taking into account interests of its ally, Armenia. Undoubtedly, the Turkish leadership may raise the issue at the talks with Russia from time to time. But I see no Moscow’s willingness to meet Ankara’s inspirations in this issue,” the expert said.

He reminded that Moscow’s only ally in the region is Armenia, where there is a Russian military base.

To remind, the official Ankara supports Baku in the Karabakh conflict, saying that Armenia occupied the Azerbaijani territories. Besides, since 1993, Turkey has kept its border with Armenia closed.