Besides the OSCE Minsk Group, there are other means to restrain the parties to the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and to preserve the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh, well-known Russian expert Sergey Markedonov said in an interview to ArmInfo.
"Russia has never questioned the need to preserve the Minsk Group and the Madrid principles and to cooperate with the United States and France on the matter. But, on the other hand, they in the Kremlin cannot neglect the West's attempts to minimize Russia's role in the post-Soviet area. And President Putin's initiative to organize a meeting of the Armenian and Azeri presidents in Sochi was exactly a response to this process," Markedonov said.
He said that Russia is currently using different mechanisms to preserve the status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh: on the one hand, it is actively developing its cooperation with Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea, on the other, it is involving Armenia in its integration projects.
"This status quo does not oblige Russia to choose between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russia's attempts to keep Azerbaijan from becoming second Georgia do not mean that it is neglecting its strategic partnership with Armenia. The factor of this partnership is strong enough to sober the forces seeking to change the status quo. Russia is ready to accept any solution except war. And Armenia's involvement in the Eurasian project will be just one more proof that Russia is consistent in this policy," Markedonov said.