For the past 2 years, the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been waiting for a breakthrough in relations between the two nations. However, despite several summits on the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, the positions of the parties haven't moved closer.
To avoid growing tensions, Russia proposed a further attempt to round off the rough corners in the process. The Astrakhan summit wasn't a breakthrough in the conflict settlement. It had a humanitarian character. The signed declaration inspires hope for continuation of the dialogue.
This meeting was a preparation for the upcoming OSCE summit in Astana. Russia is trying to promote its proposal for a new security system in Europe, and the frozen conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh contradicts this system. Thus, Dmitry Medvedev is going to convince both parties to agree on the next steps of the peace process. Today Russia is the most powerful mediator in this conflict, and if the results of the Astana summit are positive, the South Caucasus will become a sphere of Russian privileged interest.
Elmira Tariverdieva. Baku. Exclusively for VK
