Does Donald Trump turn his back on Caucasus?

Under President Donald Trump, the attention of the United States to the republics of the South Caucasus will be reduced, the President of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin said, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza on the sidelines of the presentation of the Primakov Readings international forum, which main topic this year is "The Wold in 2035".

The academician stressed that it is due to Trump's political program, which gives preference to the solution of US domestic political problems. "Trump is concentrated on his  country's internal problems. Of course, there are forces in the US establishment which are interested in maintaining smoldering tension in the South Caucasus, however, since the State Department still does not fill half of the vacancies, Washington still does not have a clear foreign policy line," he pointed out.

Speaking about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has destabilized the South Caucasus to this day, he stressed that this problem is one of the results of the painful disintegration of the Union. "History teaches us that the disintegration of large states leaves serious territorial disputes. For example, the conflict of Jammu and Kashmir remained after the collapse of the British Empire, the Sykes-Picot border in the Middle East - after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and the same for the conflict over Karabakh in the South Caucasus - it was a result of the disintegration of the USSR," Alexander Dynkin expressed confidence.

President of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations added that such conflicts are especially difficult to settle in a short time. "Undoubtedly, there are approaches to the resolution of conflicts like the Nagorno-Karabakh one, but I would be an unrestrained optimist if I give concrete dates for its settlement," he concluded.

Primakov Readings is an international forum of experts in the field of the world economy and international relations, diplomats and politicians. This year it will be held in Moscow on June 29-30. Experts from 19 countries will discuss scenarios for the development of international relations, challenges and risks in the sphere of international security and the prospects for the world economy.