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.