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Artificial US structures in South Caucasus not to work, Russian role safe — expert

Stanislav Pritchin explained that the precedents of external control of transport corridors are extremely rare and it is difficult to imagine that Azerbaijan would agree to depend on an infrastructure that is not entirely friendly to Azerbaijan

MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. Artificially implemented US projects in the South Caucasus will not work, Russia’s role as a reliable partner in the region is still strong, Stanislav Pritchin, Head of the Central Asia Sector of the IMEMO RAS, told TASS in an interview.

"Everyone wants to show that the United States is pushing Russia out of the region, but Moscow still remains a reliable partner, a security partner in the region. We have examples in Central Asia, where the United States came with their military bases. And where the US is now and where Central Asia is. That is, it doesn't matter if these constructs are artificially built with the aim of just playing at geopolitics, pushing someone out - it doesn't work," he said.

Commenting on US President Donald Trump's statements that the conflict settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is moving towards a successful conclusion, Pritchin noted that all his previous settlement projects, for instance, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, did not go according to Trump's plan.

"The mechanism they propose to consider is to lease the Zangezur corridor for 100 years. In the current circumstances, Armenia may agree to this, but I am not sure that Azerbaijan will be ready to give control of the link with the land border between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan to the United States. This is a big question," the analyst stressed.

Pritchin explained that the precedents of external control of transport corridors are extremely rare and it is difficult to imagine that Azerbaijan would agree to depend on an infrastructure that is not entirely friendly to Azerbaijan. All these factors give reason to be realistic about Trump's plans, he concluded.