Russia`s progressive isolation means further problems to Azerbaijan -  Tigran Khzmalyan

ArmInfo.Russia's progressive isolation due to, among other things, the geopolitical crisis over Ukraine, is and will continue causing problems to Azerbaijan,  Chairman of the European Party of Armenia Tigran Khzmalyan told  ArmInfo. 

"The sanctions against Russia will, in the course of time, only  become severer, which has even now put Azerbaijan - and Turkey as  well - in a most serious political situation. Of course, they are  trying to maneuver to get to new, more favorable positions - first of  all, against their own partnership with Moscow, which is perceived as  most dubious by the collective West. And the 'gas deal' between  Azerbaijan and the EU is striking evidence thereof," Mr Khzmalyan  said. 

Late this January SOCAR officially reported it was considering the  possibilities of increasing gas supplies to Europe via the Southern  Gas Corridor. On February 4, EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson,  in a Twitter message, thanked Azerbaijan "for their efforts in  ramping up gas supplies travelling to the EU via the Southern Gas  Corridor."

The current situation is evidence of rifts in the "special relations"  between the Baku and Moscow, Mr Khzmalyan said and recalled the  warning issued by him and his party. According to him, the  progressive international isolation of Russia is posing threats to  President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, which, among other things, is  demonstrated as corruption charges against Azerbaijan in the United  States and European countries. 

Aliyev's "gas talks" are a reflection of the current situation  involving Azerbaijan, Russia and Russian- Azerbaijani partnership.  According to Mr Khzmalyan, it is Aliyev's attempt to bargain with the  West for reducing pressure on him. Baku's attempts to find a new  means of influence in its relations with the EU have the opposite  side as well, namely, a new means of pressure on Azerbaijan at the  EU's disposal.   

"I do not think that the processes going on in the EU-Azerbaijani  relations are evidence of, in terms of politics, 'indulgence' granted  to Aliyev. The new means of economic influence on the Azerbaijani  dictator will allow greater pressure to, if necessary, be exerted on  him. Under the circumstances, Aliyev has nothing to do but face the  West. Armenia, in turn, should do its best to use Europe's economic  influence on Aliyev in its own political interests. It requires work,  and we hope our Parliament will soon be involved in our party's work.  We are going to see the first results of geopolitical changes. I do  not think the 'gas deal' and the repatriation of our prisoners of war  on the initiative of the presidents of France and of the European  Council is a mere coincidence," Mr Khzmalyan said.