Russian expert: U.S. financial assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh is imprudent

“It is understandable that a country like the U.S. has much more leverage to influence the South Caucasus region than the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan may consider this help ambiguous and hypocritical. However, it should also consider it a demonstration of the U.S. foreign policy equally applied to all countries and all sides. This is a policy of double standards,” Russian political expert, Russia-based Center for Post Soviet Area Studies Political Forecasting Center Director Alexander Karavayev said.  
 
“If the same thing had happened during the collapse of the Soviet Union, such turn of events would be significant. But today only a country that has a dominant position in the region and the world can play this game. Russia has no such position while the United States has it. So, America distributes the funds at its own discretion without caring about what will be the reaction,” Karavayev added.

“There is a difference, for example,  the U.S. funds for Armenia are markedly higher than the funds allocated to Azerbaijan. This reflects state of Armenian economy to some extent, because the situation in Azerbaijan is better and the country is allocated less accordingly. Given the way how these funds are spent in Nagorno-Karabakh, I believe this allocation is imprudent,” the political expert said.

Karavayev shares the view that the factor of the Armenian Diaspora is also involved in this move, but does not believe that this factor can put pressure on general U.S. policy.

“Of course, the Diaspora is involved in allocating funds to a certain degree. It is impossible to give a significant response to the U.S. move, but there should be reaction to it. There is a need to step up lobbying for Azerbaijan’s interests in the U.S. Congress.”

Indeed, there is a need to increase pressure, because many issues are solved in the Congress thanks to meetings with congressmen in an informal atmosphere, holding round tables as well as various public events. The U.S. policy is not influenced by the Armenian Diaspora. This is a myth. The Diaspora does not impact any geopolitical decisions. The Diaspora’s views are not taken into account  in this matter,” the political expert said.
 
T. Teymur
Day.Az