YEREVAN, JULY 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian and Russian experts do not rule out that the deployment of Russian border guards in the disputable sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border will stabilize the current situation caused by the Azerbaijani aggression on the border, however, they note that the problem will be solved only when the sides reach an agreement over demarcation and delimitation issues. Moreover, most of them are convinced that Russia can play a decisive role in this process.

Political analyst Aram Safaryan told Armenpress that without Russia’s mediation mission it would much more difficult to solve this problem.

“I believe that the leadership of Armenia is right that the solution of these issues should be given to the Russian Federation, asking it to act as an impartial judge, given the fact that since 1921 Moscow has been playing an incomparable role in determining the state borders of all previous soviet rebublics, including Armenia”, he said, adding: “No one is ready or wants to act as a mediator in this difficult process. And Russia does it only because it doesn’t want to have a new conflict center in the South Caucasus. I believe that Russia’s mission to settle the existing conflicts in the South Caucasus is irreplaceable”.

Russian military expert Alexander Khramchikhin says it’s difficult to say what progress will be achieved over the border matters, the return of Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan after the recent meeting between caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The expert, however, is sure that the problem will not be solved without demarcation and delimitation. He told Armenpress that Azerbaijan is using the opportunity that the borders between the territories which have come under its control after the recent war and Armenia are not clarified, and is trying to advance in the border with all possible means. Moreover, the Russian expert notes that the issue is political to a great extent as it can affect the Nagorno Karabakh issue.

“Today this is a principled issue for Armenia, but as long as the borders are not clarified, it’s very hard to present any demand or complaint against Azerbaijan. When an agreement is signed over demarcation and delimitation, that time it already would be possible to deploy border troops, including inviting Russian border guards and putting demands before Azerbaijan if that side violates the border. And I think that border delimitation is just impossible without Russia’s participation. And if Russia deploys its border guards on Armenia’s border, then yes, it becomes the guarantor of Armenia’s territorial integrity in that part”, he said.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan