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American professor: â€œNagorno-Karabakh problem is beginning to resemble that of the Israeli-Palestinian stand-offâ€

09 November 2010 09:09 (UTC +04:00)

Washington. Isabel Levine â€“ APA. APAâ€™s Washington correspondentâ€™s interview with Michael Gunter, professor of Political Science at the Tennessee Technological University, USA

- How do you see the solution to the Iran problem from international perspective? If the decision is to bring more military to the region, then what are the neighbors of the country expected to do?

- The Iran problem needs to be addressed completely through diplomacy. This means that the military stick be kept in the background but potentially available as a thorough diplomatic process is engaged.

- The US still believes that the Iranian policy is dangerous not only for the people of Iran but for the region. Could you please describe Iranâ€™s danger to the region? Should countries like Azerbaijan be worried and what should they do about that?

- Much of the Iranian problem has to do with the unrestrained and threatening rhetoric with which Iranian President Mahmud Ahmedinejad engages. Iran has a long and distinguished history as a great regional power that is acceptable to its neighbors. Therefore, I do not believe that Azerbaijan should be worried. I think neighboring countries should try to explain to the US how it is necessary for them to continue economic relations with Tehran, that such relations would actually help soften the heated rhetoric that threatens violence.

- How important is the South Caucasus region for global affairs?

- The South Caucasus region is mainly important for global affairs only for its oil resources. The US maintains a keen interest, but realizes that it remains a distant third power when compared to the proximity of Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Still given that the US is in many ways the worldâ€™s only super power, by definition it remains interested in all global regions especially the South Caucasus because of its oil.

- What are the prospects of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue today? What is needed to be done by the parties involved and world mediators?

- I do not see any early solution to the issue regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. Indeed all the third parties and Armenia tend to benefit by the continuing impasse.

- Ð¡an the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict be compared to the other regional conflicts, such as Abkhazia, North Ossetia, Israeli-Palestinian stand-off? In what ways are their road-maps similar?

- I think the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is beginning to resemble that of the Israeli-Palestinian stand-off. Abkhazia and North Ossetia on the other hand remain very secondary and more recent problems and therefore cannot yet be compared to Nagorno-Karabakh.