Professor of Turkish studies Ruben Safrastyan considers the tension on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border to be an obvious pressure from Azerbaijan and Turkey to try to extort concessions from Armenia.
“In particular, in order for Armenia to put up with the status of Artsakh, with the presence of Azerbaijani troops in our territory, concerning the border issues, etc., that is, these provocations have a specific purpose,” says Ruben Safrastyan, academician, Professor of Turkish studies.
Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan stated at the Government session that one of the possible solutions to find out the truth about Azerbaijan’s and our mutual accusations might be the deployment of a CSTO monitoring mission along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The expert stated that if this time CSTO fails to carry out the main functions for which it has been created, it will seriously question its future. The professor of Turkish studies also considered the decision of the House of Representatives to reduce US military financial assistance to Azerbaijan a significant event.
“The Senate should join that decision, and it will get the force of law, and the executive will accept it as a serious message,” Safrastyan says.
The reality, however, according to the professor of Turkish studies, is that the executive branch, represented by the White House, often does not respond to the messages coming from the Congress.
“The US executive has its interests and goals in our region. Let us not forget that the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which is important for the United States and the West, starts from Azerbaijan. We must take these circumstances into account,” Safrastyan says
According to Safrastyan, Armenia shares the approach voiced by, for example, France, the United States, and Russia that the work of the Minsk Group should continue. The issue of the status of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has not been resolved yet, the Minsk Group must return to the discussion of that issue. According to the professor of Turkish studies, this is a way to a just solution to the Artsakh issue.
“Unfortunately, Azerbaijan, due to its aggressive tendencies in foreign policy towards Artsakh and Armenia, does not accept the activities of the Minsk Group at the current stage, but I hope that the international pressure on Azerbaijan will yield results,” Ruben Safrastyan says.
The professor of Turkish studies first highlights what the Armenian diplomacy should do in this issue, noting that targeted activities should be carried out.
Safrastyan also touched upon Russian-Turkish relations, describing them as allied in terms of tactics. He stressed that in strategic terms, however, the two countries remain rivals - interests differ from each other. Turkey did not get the results it expected. By provoking a war, Turkey intended to deploy joint Russian-Turkish joint peacekeeping forces in Artsakh, modeled on Syria, but Russia did not allow it.
“The South Caucasus is Turkey's main goal. By isolating and weakening Armenia, in order to minimize Russia's influence in the South Caucasus, and it will be possible to oust Russia from the South Caucasus altogether, to turn the South Caucasus into a region of Turkish influence. It is obvious that this is directed against Russia,” Ruben Safrastyan says.
The professor of Turkish sciences also mentioned that Russia is under heavy sanctions from the West, but is fighting with possible means. Safrastyan stressed that Turkey is trying to involve Pakistan in our region, as well as against Armenia and Iran. He stressed that it is obvious that Turkey involves Pakistan in its policy having further intentions, as it can not only get technology in the nuclear field, but it also tries to get Chinese military technology through Pakistan, which China does not give them.
