Russia to keep Armenia within its orbit - Alexey Portanskiy

The Azerbaijani-Iranian-Russian meeting over Nagorno-Karabakh and other problems does not at all isolate Armenia from the regional formats, Alexey Portanskiy, Associate Professor at the Higher School of Economics, National Research University, told Tert.am.

“In any case, Russia will keep Armenia within its orbit, and historical evidence thereof is available. Russian military cantonments were organized in northern Armenia, by the order of Russian Emperor Alexander I and with Armenia’s consent, in the early 19^th century. It was done to prevent Turkey or Persia from establishing control over Armenia.”

With respect to Russia-Turkey reconciliation, Mr Portanskiy said that both the states need each other because both have problems with the West.

“The West believes that Russia has recently committed gross violations of international law and annexed another state’s territory – something Europe has not seen since World War II. This causes a sense of threat on Russia’s part. But the West would not like to view Russia as its enemy. The do not want confrontation. And many pro-governmental organizations in the West are exerting efforts to relieve tension.”