Andranik Hovhannisyan: It is important for Kazakhstan to have peace in the South Caucasus

Kazakhstan is trying to develop relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, expert on Oriental and foreign affairs specialist Andranik Hovhannisyan told Alpha News.

“The President of Kazakhstan’s visit was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Armenian-Kazakh relations. A few weeks ago, President Tokayev was in Baku, and we can consider this a part of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy. It is trying to pursue a balanced policy. In other words, realizing that there are tense relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan’s President visits both Baku and Yerevan and thereby shows that Kazakhstan is willing to develop its relations with both states, despite the tension between these two countries,” he said.

Andranik Hovhannisyan emphasized that Kazakhstan is trying to act as a new mediator in the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

“Obviously, Azerbaijan does not want to use Western platforms to sign the peace treaty. Azerbaijan is trying to return Armenia to the Russian platform, but today’s Armenian authorities do not want to see Russia as a mediator in the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. In other words, this is a moment when new mediators are needed. We see that Kazakhstan is trying to act as a new mediator,” the expert noted.

According to Hovhannisyan, Kazakhstan needs peace in the South Caucasus, which is also in its interests.

“It is very important for Kazakhstan to have peace in the region. It doesn’t matter at whose expense that peace will be or whose interests will be harmed. What matters for Kazakhstan is that there should be peace, because in this case, Kazakhstan is busy with the diversification of its transport logistics. It is important for Kazakhstan to have peace in the South Caucasus, where the main roads pass, because the roads that used to pass through the territory of Russia and Ukraine have been closed for two years.

The South Caucasus has a great and important role for Kazakhstan today. The roads pass from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan through the Caspian Sea and from Azerbaijan through Georgia in two ways: either they reach Europe through the Black Sea, or as a second option, the Turkish road. Kazakhstan takes into account the situation in Georgia, so it does not want all its roads to pass only through Georgia. The situation there is quite dangerous. It is looking for other ways,” Andranik Hovhannisyan said.

According to him, it is not important for official Astana at what price this peace will be achieved, be it war, the so-called “Zangezur Corridor”, or something else.