Yevgeni Kozhokin: "It is difficult for the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs to find a single position, as it takes time and efforts"

- What do you expect from the further development of Azerbaijani-Russian relations following the election of a new Russian President?

- Through eight years of Putin's presidency, some approaches, optimal for modern Russia, have been found. It is obvious that preference in our external policy is given to economic diplomacy. As for trafitional political diplomacy, there are issues of great importance for us, for example dislocation of missile defense elements in Europe, issues of accession of Ukraine and Georgia in NATO. The diplomacy focuses on these issues. There are a number of important problems, where we see definite differences in our vision of problems. These differences are not so principal to fail to come to a compromise and not move forward with partners on Security Council.

Obviously, for us Azerbaijan is an important economic partner. We, both Russia and Azerbaijan, are important actors on the energy sources market. It is necessary for us to find forms of cooperation, therefore the interaction of the Russian leadership with the senior leadership of Azerbaijan whether in the format of bilateral relations or in format of regional interaction, that in within CIS, is important along with high level of trust. Search of diversification that is expansion and deepening of our ties will proceed under the new leadership of Russia.

Finally, we are closely bound with a human factor. These hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis, working in Russia, is an important factor, both humanitarian and political. And it is important for us that people, working in Russia, feel safe, comfortable, for according to social researches Azerbaijani community is an open community, as compared to others. Azerbaijani people are well integrated into the Russian society and in this case I consider that Azerbaijan undertakes serious steps for the preservation of the Russian language. I think this is a plus for all of us. Russian language is a factor not only cultural but also economic. Therefore, it is important that Russian information space is not restricted in Azerbaijan. I consider that decision should be taken about some difficulties in this area. Russian channels should be present here as this meets the interests of our peoples.

- By the way, Azerbaijanis, working in Russia,become more frequent victims of attacks of different extremist national groupings. Do you also consider that this event is temporary and what do you think is a method of struggle with this evil, as according to the execution of the law on combat with extremism, it is not possible to always fight it lawfully?

- Existence of people with different cultural traditions within the same society has always been not easy. Moreover, the youth, especially young people from poor countries, are a kind of abandoned in Russia. I mean that our society has been commercialized, everything is done for money, including education, sports and others. If you have money, you have good education and can go in for sports. But what is the fault of children, born to poor families? It is not their fault that their parents are poor. In the result these abandoned children start to find the reason of their poor state and find quite false and incorrect object, which is close, though. These are the same poor people, living by their side, In order not to allow this, we should change the situation with vertical mobility so that the children from poor families knew that they have a perspective, so that they stop search for enemies and see that career can be made owing to work and education.

The second is that the law enforcement bodies do not work enough, though there is a legislative basis for it. By the way, the recent process over people, who committed terror act on the Cherkiz market, showed that laws help undertake stiff measures against people, who commit such crimes. But it is necessary for the militia, prosecutor's office and courts but in this case-more militia, to work exactly.

And, gradually, this is also the problem of both education and mass media. They should not only condemn the cases of attacks (which are widely spoken about in Russian mass medias) but also speak about culture, history, specific features of other peoples, especially people, who live near us, including the hard life of migrants. These are people, who come here to work and they do not earn much. These are all myths that they earn much here, this is a lie. They also have to send a part of their earnings to their families. And they should also speak about it and show who these people are and describe their living conditions. I consider that this is a civil duty of journalists and human rights activists.

- How do you assess prospects of the soonest resolution of the Karabakh problem and the mediatory role of Russia, whose main postulate "Let the sides agree and we will support this agreement" is not perceived unambiguously by everyone in Baku? Is Russia ready to use its wide potential for the resolution of this conflict?

- Russia will use its potential, but currently we will act, primarily, in the framework of the Minsk Group. We consider that the resolution of such a complicated and tragic conflict requires coordinated efforts of the Minsk group members, including Russia, the United States and France. It is difficult for us to find a single position as it takes time and efforts. But only this will promote a breakthrough. If the Minsk group co-chairs act in different directions, the situation will even worsen.

/Day.Az/