ArmInfo. In an interview with ArmInfo, Arman Melikyan, the former foreign minister of the Republic of Artsakh, expressed confidence that the USSR will never re- emerge as a state.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin must be well aware of that. However, he is doing nothing to stop the dissemination of ideas in the USSR spirit. And the aim could be 'sowing' certain sentiments in some of the post-Soviet states. The idea of USSR reincarnation could only be realized through stimulating the process of unification of Russia and Belarus," he said.
As to attitudes to the idea in Russia, the diplomat sees two approaches. On the one hand, President Vladimir Putin goes on claiming that Moscow has never set such a task. On the other hand, Russian mass media are apparently creating a nostalgic mood and actively advocating common past in the USSR.
In this context, Mr Melikyan is predicting Moscow`s intensified efforts to increase its influence in Azerbaijan in the next two or three years, along with its economic presence in Armenia. He does not rule out Russia will scale down its military presence in Armenia only to boost it in Artsakh. The reason is that the South Caucasus has entered another period of instability and future changes, which will last for at least ten years.
"As regards the latest developments in the Armenian-Azerbaijani context, I would point out concurrent long-term interests of Moscow and Ankara. I think the logic of Moscow`s relations with Yerevan and Baku will be anchored to this concurrence of interests. On the other hand, the Russian-Turkish confrontation over Ukraine will continue, which, however, will by no means hinder their cooperation in the South Caucasus and Central Asia," Mr Melikyan said.