Azerbaijan's appeal to Turkey for military and political assistance has made the opening of the centre both inevitable and necessary.

Alexander Savelyev, a member of the expert council of the State Duma's Committee on the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, told Eurasia Diary about the opening of a joint Turkish-Russian Monitoring Centre.

Savelyev believes that the opening of the Centre means the declaration of the fact and the strengthening of Turkey's role as a regional power, and drastic changes should not be expected.

As regards the the opening of the Joint Centre, whether it would affect Russian-Turkish relations, the expert said it will not affect relations between Russia and Turkey in any way. Moscow remembers that Ankara is a member of NATO and has geopolitical ambitions that could affect Russia's interests. "

Many are interested in Armenia's reaction to the launch of the joint monitoring centre. The expert says it is difficult to say what Armenia's next steps would be. According to him, no one in Armenia will answer this question: “I have repeatedly said in recent years, both in public and in private, that Pashinyan's prime ministership will end with the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. It is clear that the intensity of public opinion still excludes any concessions, but this is mainly the result of propaganda, the introduction of information. I think that the winning country should be the first to reduce the intensity of the information war in Azerbaijan. "Armenian revanchism is inevitable for the part of society that is nurtured by Nazi ideas specific to Nzhdeh, but it is a big mistake to say that the whole nation is an enemy."

Speaking about the impact of the Monitoring Centre on the activities of Russian peacekeepers serving in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, Savelyev said that Russian peacekeepers were deployed in accordance with the tripartite decision of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia and they have their own status that are different from the status and acitivities of the centre. 

"I am sure that these are different structures that will cooperate constructively. Apparently, the agreements reached are respected. It is hoped that the long-running conflict in the Caucasus will end if infrastructure issues are addressed and the intensity of information is reduced. If revanchism occurs, of course, it will be necessary to seriously explain that the Rusian peacekeepers are not goodwill hostages in the region, but they are the guarantors of regional security in full compliance with international law, and if so then Russia is behind them."

It should be noted that on January 30, 2021, a joint Turkish-Russian Monitoring Centre was opened near the liberated village of Marzili in the Aghdam region. The Turkish personnel of the Monitoring Centre will be led by Major General Abdulla Gatyrchy, and the Russian one will be led by Major General Victor Felorenko. The protection of the centre will be provided by the Azerbaijani army.

Interviewed by Huseyn Safarov

Translated by Elnur Enveroglu