Azerbaijan unlikely to start full-scale hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, expert says
22.01.2016,
14:29
Azerbaijan is unlikely to start full-scale hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, but such a scenario should not be discounted, the head Noravank think tank Gagik Harutyunyan said today.
YEREVAN, January 22. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan is unlikely to start full-scale hostilities in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, but such a scenario should not be discounted, the head Noravank think tank Gagik Harutyunyan said today.
"Full-scale hostilities run counter to Azerbaijan’s geopolitical interests. I do not think that Azerbaijan will unleash war, but such a scenario must always be considered as possible," said Harutyunyan in response to a question from a journalist whether Baku could initiate military operations in an attempt to neutralize the heightening tension within the country caused by the deteriorating economic situation.
‘Azerbaijan is faced by a real threat of economic collapse: we are receiving reports from different cities of that country about unrest and riots caused by almost a double devaluation of the national currency, the disruption of supplies of food, lack of medicines and massive layoffs,’ he said.
"Due to the difficult economic situation, Azerbaijan is unlikely to resort to extreme measures. In addition, the final decision does not belong to it. Azerbaijan this year will try to behave modestly due to a significant change in relations between Russia and Turkey," said Harutyunyan.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum. A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year. –0
"Full-scale hostilities run counter to Azerbaijan’s geopolitical interests. I do not think that Azerbaijan will unleash war, but such a scenario must always be considered as possible," said Harutyunyan in response to a question from a journalist whether Baku could initiate military operations in an attempt to neutralize the heightening tension within the country caused by the deteriorating economic situation.
‘Azerbaijan is faced by a real threat of economic collapse: we are receiving reports from different cities of that country about unrest and riots caused by almost a double devaluation of the national currency, the disruption of supplies of food, lack of medicines and massive layoffs,’ he said.
"Due to the difficult economic situation, Azerbaijan is unlikely to resort to extreme measures. In addition, the final decision does not belong to it. Azerbaijan this year will try to behave modestly due to a significant change in relations between Russia and Turkey," said Harutyunyan.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted into armed clashes after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as the predominantly Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan sought to secede from Azerbaijan and declared its independence backed by a successful referendum. A truce was brokered by Russia in 1994, although no permanent peace agreement has been signed.
Since then, Nagorno-Karabakh and several adjacent regions have been under the control of Armenian forces of Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running post-Soviet era conflict and has continued to simmer despite the relative peace of the past two decades, with snipers causing tens of deaths a year. –0
