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KARABAKH MEDIATION 'CONNECTED WITH MEDVEDEV'S FUTURE ROLE'
Saadat Kadyrova
News.Az
Tue 17 January 2012 11:13 GMT | 11:13 Local Time
News.Az interviews journalist Saadat Kadyrova, a member of the expert
council of the Russian Duma's nationalities committee.
At the end of January, President Medvedev is holding another summit
of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the Karabakh
conflict. How likely is a breakthrough at this meeting?
I don't think any serious breakthroughs are expected. Moreover,
I am convinced that the meeting participants also understand this.
How can you explain the active mediation of Medvedev, who is leaving
his presidential post?
You know, I have been thinking about it and I doubt that he is
simply doing it out of the goodness of his heart. This is most
likely a strategy. We do not know what position Medvedev is going
to have - he is unlikely to be prime minister. The political crisis
that started with the implications at the United Russia congress and
ended in protests following the elections caused quite a stir. So I
think this is all connected with Medvedev's future political role.
Do you think Medvedev and Putin have different approaches to the
problems of the South Caucasus?
In general, they don't, but now they do. I mean that now and after
the elections Putin will have no time for the Karabakh conflict,
he will have to tackle domestic policy.
There have been recent reports in the media that Armenian diaspora
organizations in Russia have started work on a law to criminalize
denial of the "Armenian genocide" in the Russian State Duma, just as
they did in the French parliament. A signature collection campaign
has already started in Sochi. Is it possible that Russian lawmakers
will follow the example of their French counterparts?
I do not think that this is possible in Russia, at least in
the foreseeable future. As for France, the political situation is
different there. Sarkozy, just like Medvedev and Putin, is not too
seriously concerned with the Armenian issue, it is just about his
election campaign where the Armenian diaspora work well. There is
no such orientation for the diaspora in Russia, but I am completely
against underestimating the situation. It is impossible today, but
it might become reality tomorrow, and we, in Russia, have nothing to
confront them with.
Saadat Kadyrova
News.Az
Tue 17 January 2012 11:13 GMT | 11:13 Local Time
News.Az interviews journalist Saadat Kadyrova, a member of the expert
council of the Russian Duma's nationalities committee.
At the end of January, President Medvedev is holding another summit
of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to discuss the Karabakh
conflict. How likely is a breakthrough at this meeting?
I don't think any serious breakthroughs are expected. Moreover,
I am convinced that the meeting participants also understand this.
How can you explain the active mediation of Medvedev, who is leaving
his presidential post?
You know, I have been thinking about it and I doubt that he is
simply doing it out of the goodness of his heart. This is most
likely a strategy. We do not know what position Medvedev is going
to have - he is unlikely to be prime minister. The political crisis
that started with the implications at the United Russia congress and
ended in protests following the elections caused quite a stir. So I
think this is all connected with Medvedev's future political role.
Do you think Medvedev and Putin have different approaches to the
problems of the South Caucasus?
In general, they don't, but now they do. I mean that now and after
the elections Putin will have no time for the Karabakh conflict,
he will have to tackle domestic policy.
There have been recent reports in the media that Armenian diaspora
organizations in Russia have started work on a law to criminalize
denial of the "Armenian genocide" in the Russian State Duma, just as
they did in the French parliament. A signature collection campaign
has already started in Sochi. Is it possible that Russian lawmakers
will follow the example of their French counterparts?
I do not think that this is possible in Russia, at least in
the foreseeable future. As for France, the political situation is
different there. Sarkozy, just like Medvedev and Putin, is not too
seriously concerned with the Armenian issue, it is just about his
election campaign where the Armenian diaspora work well. There is
no such orientation for the diaspora in Russia, but I am completely
against underestimating the situation. It is impossible today, but
it might become reality tomorrow, and we, in Russia, have nothing to
confront them with.