Vitaly Naumkin: joint actions of Russia and US on Karabakh can be more energetic

Given the chance of a rapprochement between Russia and the United States on the Middle East topics, Moscow and Washington have more possibilities for a constructive cooperation in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group as mediators in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Vitaly Naumkin, told Vestnik Kavkaza on the sidelines of the  conference titled 'The Middle East: When Will Tomorrow Come?', organized by the 'Valdai' International Discussion Club.

First and foremost, he stressed that all international areas of cooperation as well as bilateral, now it's Washington's turn o take any actions. "We are always ready to cooperate and we always say it - both the President Vladimir Putin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov. Russia also offers to form a unified coalition against terrorism, as well a many other positive initiatives. Therefore, now it is up to Trump's decision. The chance for cooperation is real, in my opinion," Vitaly Naumkin believes.

In particular, it is about a cooperation in the South Caucasus. "We expect that we will be able to work constructively with the US in relation to the South Caucasus, where there are conflicts that remain unresolved, especially the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We should not forget that the Russian-US cooperation in the framework of OSCE Minsk group was not stopped even in the worst times for the relations between them, together with France, the three of us have worked successfully in the OSCE Minsk group as the co-chair countries," the scientist noted.

Vitaly Naumkin admitted that during this time it has not been possible to achieve a success in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Perhaps now, the chance of a rapprochement between Russia and the United States on the Middle East topics, there is a chance of more energetic actions of the two countries in relation to the South Caucasus and its problems," the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies concluded.