Azerbaijan, Baku, May 20 / Trend , U.Sadikhova/
Given the recent discussions regarding the opening of Turkish-Armenian "roadmap", which envisages normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan, a drastic change in the whole geopolitical situation is expected in the region, which is also linked to the displacement of Russia and Iran from the South Caucasus, Rashad Rzaguliev, Head of the Foundation of Social Development, said.
"Russia and Iran, which have age-old interests in the region, desperately pushed out the third country. We will cal it West, Rzaguliev said speaking at a round table of political scientists on discussions of the Turkish-Armenian "road map". The "Eastern Partnership" is one of those elements - a comparative set of activities of Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
The Eastern Partnership is the program, which was formally proposed by the European Union. It was presented by the Foreign Minister of Poland with participation of Sweden to the Council on Foreign Relations on May 26, 2008. The main purpose of the program is the EU convergence with six countries of the former USSR - Ukraine, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Belarus. The program has officially come into forces at the summit of heads of EU member states in Prague on May 7.
According Rzaguliev, signing of the "Eastern Partnership" does not mean that Europe will open its doors in front of Azerbaijan in coming years. Europe is advantageous because it offers the main way of development of society, but it is worth remembering that the European Union was originally founded as the Christian Union of European states.
"Europe will never be extended within the framework of the Christian-Islam space," Azerbaijani political scientist said.
A confrontation is observed between the West and Russia in the region. Therefore, one should not hope for joint settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, given the recent military exercises of NATO in Georgia after Russia's sharp statements.
"The key for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is in Moscow and Washington, and only the interaction between them will contribute to the resolution of the conflict," Rzaguliyev said.
Azerbaijan's diplomacy benefited from the issue of opening of the Turkish-Armenian borders, given the recent visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Azerbaijan.
"Erdogan's visit to Baku is Azerbaijan's major victory. I do not believe that the "roadmap" project will have a sharp affect to Azerbaijan," Rzaguliyev added.
Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia's claims of an alleged genocide, and the country's occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Yerevan on Sept. 6, 2008 upon the invitation of his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan to watch an Armenia-Turkey football match.
Efforts have been made to normalize ties between the two countries ever since
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