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HIKMET HAJIZADE: "RUSSIA DOES NOT TRUST AZERBAIJAN, CONSIDERING IT TO BE A COUNTRY OF A DIFFERENT UNFRIENDLY CIVILIZATION"
Today.Az, Azerbaijan
June 11 2008
Day.Az interview with famous political scientist Hikmet Hajizade.
- What do you expect from official visit of Russian President Dmitri
Medvedev to Azerbaijan, scheduled for July 3-4?
- Perhaps, several important intergovernmental issues will be
discussed,but the most important, what Russia is concerned about
are energy problems. Russia tries to prevent Caspian energy sources
supply to the world market via Azerbaijan bypassing Russia. Moreover,
Russia tries to possess the Caspian gas to strengthen monopolistic
positions of Gazprom in ensuring gas for Europe. Perhaps, we will be
persuaded to reject support of Georgia.
- A number of experts state that Russia is still ruled by Vladimir
Putin, while Dmitri Medvedev fulfills purely representative
functions. Do you agree with this point?
- Yes, it is this way so far, but I would like to note that Putin
has once been not the sole ruler of Russia and was a representative
of a powerful grouping comprising senior officers of the FSS and
reconnaissance. Medvedev has not taken any steps, not envisioned by
the strategy of the said grouping. His speech during the economic
forum in Petersburg was in fact the repetition of the confrontation
Munich speech of Putin. But let's not hurry. Medvedev has time for
demonstrating himself as an independent politician.
- Vladimir Putin's presidency was marked with a thaw in the
Azerbaijani-Russian relations. Can we expect further closing of our
countries under Dmitri Medvedev?
- Well, anyway, the relations will not worsen significantly under
him, except for any extraordinary cases. Some toughening of policy
towards Azerbaijani migrants is possible, which can be prevented by
our diplomacy.
- How far can Russia go in its loyalty to Azerbaijan and can we
expect from Russia to impose pressure on Armenia strong enough for
this country to return the occupied lands to us?
- Under the current course, laid in the mid 1990s and finally formed
under Putin, no changes are expected in the Russia's policy towards
conflicts in the Caucasus. Too much should change in Russia and in
the world for Moscow to reject support of separatism in the Caucasus.
- What can Azerbaijan give to Russia in exchange for such steps as
pressure on Armenia?
- Russia demands too much: to reject our independent external and
energy policy, give up developing relations with Turkey and NATO,
reject support to Georgia, join the Collective Security Treaty,
allow Russian frontier guards to guard our borders and return troops
to Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, by doing it all we will not have a guarantee that we
will get Karabakh as Russia does not trust Azerbaijan considering it to
be a part of a different unfriendly civilization. Russia strategists
consider that Azerbaijan will always dream of being with Turkey,
strive for European integration and independence from Russia.
/Day.Az/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/45593.html
Today.Az, Azerbaijan
June 11 2008
Day.Az interview with famous political scientist Hikmet Hajizade.
- What do you expect from official visit of Russian President Dmitri
Medvedev to Azerbaijan, scheduled for July 3-4?
- Perhaps, several important intergovernmental issues will be
discussed,but the most important, what Russia is concerned about
are energy problems. Russia tries to prevent Caspian energy sources
supply to the world market via Azerbaijan bypassing Russia. Moreover,
Russia tries to possess the Caspian gas to strengthen monopolistic
positions of Gazprom in ensuring gas for Europe. Perhaps, we will be
persuaded to reject support of Georgia.
- A number of experts state that Russia is still ruled by Vladimir
Putin, while Dmitri Medvedev fulfills purely representative
functions. Do you agree with this point?
- Yes, it is this way so far, but I would like to note that Putin
has once been not the sole ruler of Russia and was a representative
of a powerful grouping comprising senior officers of the FSS and
reconnaissance. Medvedev has not taken any steps, not envisioned by
the strategy of the said grouping. His speech during the economic
forum in Petersburg was in fact the repetition of the confrontation
Munich speech of Putin. But let's not hurry. Medvedev has time for
demonstrating himself as an independent politician.
- Vladimir Putin's presidency was marked with a thaw in the
Azerbaijani-Russian relations. Can we expect further closing of our
countries under Dmitri Medvedev?
- Well, anyway, the relations will not worsen significantly under
him, except for any extraordinary cases. Some toughening of policy
towards Azerbaijani migrants is possible, which can be prevented by
our diplomacy.
- How far can Russia go in its loyalty to Azerbaijan and can we
expect from Russia to impose pressure on Armenia strong enough for
this country to return the occupied lands to us?
- Under the current course, laid in the mid 1990s and finally formed
under Putin, no changes are expected in the Russia's policy towards
conflicts in the Caucasus. Too much should change in Russia and in
the world for Moscow to reject support of separatism in the Caucasus.
- What can Azerbaijan give to Russia in exchange for such steps as
pressure on Armenia?
- Russia demands too much: to reject our independent external and
energy policy, give up developing relations with Turkey and NATO,
reject support to Georgia, join the Collective Security Treaty,
allow Russian frontier guards to guard our borders and return troops
to Azerbaijan.
Unfortunately, by doing it all we will not have a guarantee that we
will get Karabakh as Russia does not trust Azerbaijan considering it to
be a part of a different unfriendly civilization. Russia strategists
consider that Azerbaijan will always dream of being with Turkey,
strive for European integration and independence from Russia.
/Day.Az/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/45593.html