“Russia ceded”
The meeting in Kazan didn't work out," politologist Ruben Mehrabyan told "A1+" as he touched upon the Serzh Sargsyan-Ilham Aliyev meeting. Mehrabyan says the only reason for the failed meeting was Azerbaijan's destructivism.
"The meeting showed that Russia's interests and possibilities don't coincide. Russia wants to give at least an interim solution, but that's not what happened."
According to the politologist, the statement by the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan only means one thing.
"If we translate it from the diplomatic language, it turns out that nothing worked out this time, but we will continue attempts and maintain the "status-quo" as long as possible."
Ruben Mehbrayan believes that the document on the table of negotiations over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is not in Armenia's interests.
"On the other hand, Azerbaijan is showing its maximalist demands through state-run propaganda and rhetoric, but that won't go too far."
Taking into account the fact that Armenia frequently declares that the conflict is not being resolved because Azerbaijan constantly refuses to sign the document at the last moment, the politologist mentioned that Armenia's only hope in the process of negotiations is Azerbaijan's denial. "We can say that and not be wrong."
The politologist is not sure if the Armenian side will be able to prove to the international community that the negotiations failed because of Azerbaijan. "I don't doubt that Armenia has all grounds to reach that point, but I highly doubt that Armenian will be able to prove that to the international community."
By saying the international community, Ruben Mehrabyan primarily refers to the West. "From the West's point of view, Armenia as a state is not much different from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan compensates with petroleum, but Armenia doesn't have oil. That fundamentally weakens our positions and doesn't leave much for our diplomats to say."
The politologist doesn't see a resolution of the NK conflict in the near future, but does see a change of the amount of mediators' participation and Russia will play a smaller role.
"The failed meeting in Kazan led to a vacuum that the West will fill. Russia ceded too much by overestimating its possibilities."
