Monday, September 11 2017 18:06

ArmInfo.It would be very bold to say that absolutely new processes are taking place in the region, but there are new developments with the preservation of  factors that have existed for many years. Such an opinion on  September 11 in Yerevan at the round table "Security and Diplomacy in  the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. The new stage?" Expressed the Deputy  Director of the Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan.

The expert believes that the role of the United States as co-chair of  the OSCE Minsk Group in the negotiation process will not undergo  serious changes. "It should be noted that today there is no  negotiating process as such, only attempts are being made to  implement the Vienna and St. Petersburg agreements on the  introduction of confidence mechanisms, without which it is impossible  to ensure progress in the negotiation process and whose  implementation is understandably resisted by Azerbaijan," the expert  said.  At the same time, he added that last year's April war in the  zone of the Karabakh conflict testifies that the parties have come  close to that "red line" of not returning, after crossing which it  will be difficult to predict further developments.

The political scientist also believes that new tendencies in the  balance of forces in the region have appeared and it's not just about  the Armenian-Russian arms agreement, but also the attempts of Armenia  to diversify the defense policy, as evidenced by the visit of the  Armenian Defense Minister to China.

At the same time, Minasyan believes that in the societies of the  parties to the Karabakh conflict there have been changes in the  settlement of the problem, radical sentiments have been fixed, and  refusal to make any concessions.