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4 July 2013 - 16:26 AMT

Expert on Azeri threats: no one cancelled Treaty of Gulistan

A war in Karabakh would mean a loss of sovereignty for Baku in a short-term perspective, with a further fragmentation of the territory, an expert said.

“Most probably, Baku is mulling an option of a war as a distracting and consolidating element ahead of presidential elections. However, one hopes for common sense to take the better of President Aliyev and that he, as a reasonable man, won’t risk destruction of his country for tactical gain,” REX quoted Aleksey Martynov as saying.

The expert further refuted the idea that Azerbaijan will be allowed to fight in Karabakh using Russia-supplied weapon.

“Moscow may lay a claim for Baku, Ganja and Karabakh as Russian lands passed over by Persia 200 years ago under the Treaty of Gulistan. No one has cancelled the treaty yet. Maybe that will succeed in cooling off Baku hotheads who’re spurring Azerbaijan towards a catastrophe,” the expert said.