ArmInfo.The post-Soviet space will be reconfigured in the wake of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, which is not at all an exaggeration in the context of the looming prospects, Sergey Markedonov, Leading Researcher at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), said in an interview with ArmInfo.
"It is clear that assessing the effectiveness of any diplomatic initiative requires studying its geopolitical context, specifically, in the context of the negotiations between Armenia's Premier Nikol Pashinyan and President Vladimir Putin in Novo-Ogaryovo. I would not view them as part of diplomatic routine, especially amid the greatest shocks in the post-Soviet space over the last three decades - the Ukraine developments," Mr Markedonov said. Even amid the tectonic shifts in the European part of the post-Soviet space, serious changes are taking place in the southern regions as well - changes caused by the United States and France refusing to cooperate with Russia within the OSCE Minsk Group chairmanship. Thereafter, the West started rivalry with Russia for mediating the Baku-Yerevan dialogue, which was demonstrated at the Pashinyan-Aliyev-Michel negotiations in Brussels, where Michel attempted to present the EU as major sponsor of peace.
This, as well as the March escalation in Artsakh - which sparked off intense debate on the effectiveness of the Russian peacekeeping mission in Azerbaijan, Armenia and, of course, in the West - necessitated Moscow reiterating a number of points. Specifically, Russia's involvement in Ukraine does not at all mean renouncing its priorities in the Caucasus and intention to balance out its relations with Baku and Yerevan. Under the circumstances, when any states attempting to implement a friendly policy toward Russia find themselves under the West's powerful pressure, it is vitally important for Armenia to retain what has been achieved jointly with Russia and attempt to acquire a status in the South Caucasus similar to that of Finland in Europe, especially amid the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process transforming from a platform for cooperation into one for rivalry, Mr Markedonov said.
"So Moscow considers it important to propose its own agenda to the parties, especially in the context of its key role in achieving peace. I think it is too early to claim that this whole process is raising relations with Armenia to a new level. Of importance is the implementation of the Yerevan-Moscow agreements. One thing is clear, Moscow is not at all going to ease its efforts in pushing ahead with the bilateral and regional agenda," Mr Markedonov said.