Monday, January 9 2017 17:09

ArmInfo. The official stand of Yerevan and Stepanakert rules out even the possibility to organize direct talks between the presidents of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, for  instance, in Shushi the way it happened in the case of Moldova and Transnistria, ex-foreign minister of the Nagorno- Karabakh Republic, independent analyst Arman Melikyan has told ArmInfo. 

On January 4, President of Moldova Igor Dodon and President of  Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky held an official meeting in Bender,  Transnistria.  

"Armenia has not responded to that meeting. In the meantime, Dodon's  pro-Russian stand aimed at restoring the Russian influence on the  political and economic agenda of Moldova opens up new prospects for  settlement of the conflict between Chisinau and Tiraspol in the  context of observance of Moscow's interests," Melikyan says.  

The analyst thinks that the bilateral talks of the Moldovan and  Transnistrian presidents without any mediators provide a good  opportunity to withdraw the conflict settlement from the  international agenda, thereby neutralizing the possible influence of  the United States, the EU and Ukraine on its final outcome. 

According to Melikyan, only Moscow's presence is doubtless in the  format of Dodon-Krasnoselsky talks and Moscow's opinion will be of  predetermining importance to the negotiators. This will let the  Kremlin become the guarantor of observance of possible arrangements.    

"It is still hard to predict whether the political resources and time  reserves of the Kremlin will allow achieving a long-term result after  the talks. However, it is already clear that this 'bilateral' format  rules out any possible participation of other mediators," the analyst  says.