Moscow should fear possible military alliance Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey rather than European integration of Armenia, senior research fellow at MGIMO Institute of International Studies Leonid Gusev told ArmInfo.
"I think the Kremlin is not extremely annoyed with the upcoming Association Agreement of Armenia and the EU. It seems to me that the leadership of our country is well aware that the South Caucasus states should wage their own policies. Consequently, the possible military alliance Baku-Tbilisi-Ankara is a reason for annoyance," Gusev said.
Earlier, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania spoke of the possible alliance and said that Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan are now facing such challenges.
Gusev said that Turkey is a NATO member with rather a strong army. However, it would be wrong saying that the given initiative is aimed against Russia, first of all. Nevertheless, it is not pleasant news for Moscow.
"I don't think that it is in favor of Moscow to have a foreign military axis on its southern borders. I think, this issue must be discussed in the course of Putin's visit to Baku," Gusev said. As regards the visit of the Russian leader to Azerbaijan, the expert does not think that Moscow has changed its priorities in the South Caucasus.
"Relations with the former Soviet republics have always been in the focus of Moscow's attention. In addition, cooperation with the Caspian Sea countries is of special importance for Russia," he said.