Azerbaijan sent a note of protest to Russia, complaining of the sale of arms to Armenia. Baku believes that it cannot contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict and regional security. Azerbaijan demands guarantees that these weapons will not be used against him.
This step of official Baku even more ridiculous. To sell armament to Armenia $ 200 million complains the same country, the same Russia sold different, including offensive weapons for 5 billion dollars. When viewed from this side, the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict and regional security at risk, on the part of Russia for a long time, and the sale of weapons is not Armenia, and Azerbaijan. There’s always that danger was not hypothetical, theoretical, but very real and substantial, and has manifested itself in practical aggression of Azerbaijan.
Selling weapons to Armenia, Moscow is only trying to restore the broken with her party balance. Moreover, it is characteristic that Russia does it once fell out with Turkey, after a blow to Russian military aircraft.
This, as Putin admitted, “far-reaching” Russian-Turkish-Azerbaijani partnership was broken. After that Russia in the Caucasus was forced to take tactical steps, which categorically contradict to this strategy. It is under these tactics, Russia has published a list of arms that delivers credit to Armenia.
Before that, the Russian foreign Ministry said that nothing can stop the Russian-Azerbaijani relations. So said the representative of the MFA of Russia (Maria Zakharova – approx. ed.) on the statement of the Prime Minister of Turkey (Ahmet Davutoglu – approx. ed.), who accused Russia of supporting Armenia, violating the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. This happened even before it was published the list provided by the Armenian arms.
In response to the statement by Davutoglu, Russia noted that nothing can break the friendship of Baku and Moscow. The question arises whether the friendship of Moscow and Baku can be called into question because of the publication of the list of arms supplied to Armenia?
The note of protest, aimed Moscow, gives the impression that this friendship can still falter. On the other hand, if the statement of the representative of the Russian foreign Ministry about the unwavering friendship between Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation guarantees that these weapons Armenia not to be used against Baku? Can Azerbaijan do not trust this indirect guarantees and public assurances?
I wonder how Russia will respond to this protest? For example, say the same thing that was said in response to the dissatisfaction of Armenia in connection with the sale of weapons to Azerbaijan? Then we were told that it’s just business.
However, it is characteristic that Moscow is in no hurry to answer, as it was slow to respond to statements by davutoğlu, and in Baku to assure the inviolability of their partnership.
Now Moscow is of course difficult to publicly assure Baku that the weapons sold to Armenia will not be used against him.
By and large, for Azerbaijan the issue is not the point. He is using notes of protest trying to understand whether Russia continues to maintain a policy of Azerbaijani sabotage attacks and torpedoing of U.S. proposals on the introduction of a mechanism of investigation of incidents of violation of ceasefire regime in the Karabakh conflict zone.
Baku, primarily, interested in this, and not sell arms to Armenia. And Russia needs to answer this question. If Moscow no longer supports Baku in this issue, Azerbaijan is by and large left alone, and sooner or later will be forced to agree to the introduction of an international mechanism to monitor the truce, i.e. on the initiative to freeze the conflict.
The authorities of Azerbaijan even greater panic was the fact that the U.S. and Russia were able to reach agreements on truce in Syria. Of course, not clear — whether these arrangements are implemented and will persist after the incarnation, but the very fact of understanding that this was stated by Putin himself, of course, caused concern in Baku. In all likelihood, these agreements apply not only to Syria but also to neighboring regions, including Karabakh.
