Escalation of clashes in Karabakh into all-out war unacceptable to Russia - political analyst says
27.02.2017,
16:40
Escalation of clashes, shootouts and sabotage raids in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone into an all-out war is unacceptable to Russia, a Russian political analyst Sergey Markedonov told Novosti-Armenia news agency.
YEREVAN, February 27. /ARKA/. Escalation of clashes, shootouts and sabotage raids in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone into an all-out war is unacceptable to Russia, a Russian political analyst Sergey Markedonov told Novosti-Armenia news agency.
According to the defense ministry of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, on February 25, Azerbaijani forces carried out two attacks at the Karabakh -Azerbaijan line of contact in the direction of Martakert and Akna.
Karabakh forces were said to have successfully repelled the strike, with no casualties reported. Azerbaijani authorities have confirmed several deaths as a result of their military action. The bodies of several Azerbaijani soldiers were still in the neutral zone.
"Russia does not want new risks in its near abroad and can not give the parties to the conflict a surge of will to achieve a compromised settlement," he said.
According to him, Russia will be taking some effort to keep the situation under control, but it certainly will not try to replace Armenia or Azerbaijan.
"This is an important point that the parties should have in mind. Russia will certainly take steps, including stringent steps if there is a situation threatening its interests, pushing it out of the peace process or minimizing its political participation. If it does not happen, Russia’s position will be roughly the same as in April of last year,’ said Markedonov.
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.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations. 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.
On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. -0-
According to the defense ministry of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, on February 25, Azerbaijani forces carried out two attacks at the Karabakh -Azerbaijan line of contact in the direction of Martakert and Akna.
Karabakh forces were said to have successfully repelled the strike, with no casualties reported. Azerbaijani authorities have confirmed several deaths as a result of their military action. The bodies of several Azerbaijani soldiers were still in the neutral zone.
"Russia does not want new risks in its near abroad and can not give the parties to the conflict a surge of will to achieve a compromised settlement," he said.
According to him, Russia will be taking some effort to keep the situation under control, but it certainly will not try to replace Armenia or Azerbaijan.
"This is an important point that the parties should have in mind. Russia will certainly take steps, including stringent steps if there is a situation threatening its interests, pushing it out of the peace process or minimizing its political participation. If it does not happen, Russia’s position will be roughly the same as in April of last year,’ said Markedonov.
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.
On May 12, 1994, the Bishkek cease-fire agreement put an end to the military operations. 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.
On April 2, 2016, Azerbaijan launched military assaults along the entire perimeter of its contact line with Nagorno-Karabakh. Four days later a cease-fire was reached. -0-
