Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan outlines the countries’ common interests

The Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimer Dorokhin has stated that Azerbaijan is conducting a balanced policy which takes into account the national interests of other countries as well. He highlighted three major directions of common interest for both Russia and Azerbaijan: trade, energy and regional security. Cooperation in all these fields is improving.

Asmik Arushanian, a political analyst from Karabakh, suggests that Russia can contribute seriously to the democratisation of Azerbaijan, thus facilitating resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Arushanian thinks that since Russia and Azerbaijan have a common border they have many small ethnic groups in both countries who might become sources of destabilisation, and both countries have a common interest in this respect too. She says that an undemocratic Azerbaijan is a threat not only for Karabakh but the whole region.