ArmInfo. The presence of terrorist mercenaries in the South Caucasus will plunge the entire region into endless instability, putting all its countries in the face of a terrorist threat without exception. Viktor Nadein-Rayevsky, senior researcher at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.
"So far, we hear only talk about Turkey's intentions to consolidate the presence of terrorists in Azerbaijan and in the territories occupied by Baku during the last Artsakh war. In general, I assess this prospect as very real, but fraught with very unpleasant surprises for Azerbaijan itself and threats for all neighboring countries, "he said.
Nadein-Rayevsky explains the prospects of threats and unpleasant surprises by the rather complex controllability of such forces. According to him, in the absence of setting appropriate tasks for them, respectively, of financing, terrorists are quite capable of expanding their activities in Azerbaijan itself, although Baku and Ankara believe that they are able to control them.
According to the expert, all this is recognized in any case, both in Baku and Ankara, as well as in Tehran and Moscow. This is especially evident in the struggle of the Iranians and Russians against terrorism in Syria. At the same time, terrorists from the "gray" zone in Azerbaijan, in his opinion, can be used against Iran.
"I can imagine them on the territory formed by the Turkish base in Azerbaijan. But it is rather difficult for me to imagine the settlement of terrorists with their families near the territories controlled by Russian peacekeepers. The threat of such a scenario is so great that I do not believe that it can be realized and that Moscow will remain silent, "he said.
"In the end, the presence of terrorists will put an end to the plans to unblock communications in the region. And Russia will not allow this, including due to the prospect of the terrorist threat moving further north. The settlement of the terrorist threat is a significant part of the Russian agenda in relations with Turkey.
"Moscow is working in this direction on various vectors. The threat has approached the borders of Armenia. In this light, Yerevan, together with Russia, must immediately take appropriate diplomatic and other steps to ensure its own security," Nadein-Rayevsky summed up.