25 December 2008
TURAN news agency

Confirmation of the fact that Russia is a Caucasian state has become one of the main geopolitical results of this year in South Caucasus. Located on one third of the Big Caucasus, Russia intends to defend interests in the region by all accessible means, Alan Kasayev, Director of RIA Novosti Agency’s Department of CIS and Baltic States, said at today’s press conference in “Novosti of Azerbaijan” Agency.

The second geopolitical result of the year is that in the past years political and economic importance of the Caucasus has been overestimated, added Kasayev.

The expert mentioned Georgia, which attempted to “provoke” global geopolitical crisis counting on the western support. But Georgian government’s hopes did not come true. On the contrary, Russia has asserted its interests in the region and western partners have admitted its leading role in the Karabakh conflict settlement. This has become apparent during the talks between Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents in Moscow, which led to signing of the Declaration.

But Azerbaijani political scientist Rasim Musabekov claims that there were no crucial changes in geopolitical situation in the region. The region is not fully controlled by the West, but strengthening of Russia’s influence is also out of the question. After the events in Georgia in August, Russia experienced problems with establishment of ground communication with its ally Armenia and supply of its military base on the territory of this country. Expert claims that this fact stimulates Russia’s diplomatic efforts aimed at the Karabakh conflict settlement in order to bring Armenia out of isolation.

Out of three Caucasian republics only Azerbaijan finishes this year “with foreign political assets.” If Georgia constantly searched for political backing and Armenia tried to end the geopolitical deadlock, both neighbors and world centres of powers searched for support in Azerbaijan.

Although the region remained the object of geopolitical rivalry, the competition has not led to confrontation. Moreover, it has become possible to avoid turning the region into the base for military intervention into Iran, which seemed rather real early this year.

Rashad Rzakuliyev, President of Social Studies Fund, paid attention to threats of global economic crisis. The world practice shows that wars are used to find the way out of such crisis.

Alexander Babinski, deputy editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti, said such meetings with Azerbaijani experts are useful to study their views of the problems.