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Russia and Iran are not interested in resolving the ``frozen conflicts`` in the region, a senior official of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) says.
Tadeusz Iwinski of Poland, who chairs a committee at PACE, said at a conference entitled, ``Security and stability in the Caspian region in the context of new geopolitical realities,`` in Baku on Friday that by prolonging the solution of conflicts, the two countries are trying to secure their own interests. He noted that such disputes jeopardize the large-scale regional projects bypassing Russia.
``Russia is opposed to the Nabucco project that seeks to supply gas to Europe by an alternative route. If Moscow and Tehran vehemently oppose the project, its implementation will get complicated,`` Iwinski said.
The Polish lawmaker also said some presume that Azerbaijan will become the first NATO state in the South Caucasus region. However, to make this happen the country has to regain control over all of its territories, in other words, freeing part of its land currently under Armenian occupation, which does not meet Russian and Iranian interests, Iwinski believes. He added that, in any case, the future of regional security is a matter to be resolved among the United States, Russia and Iran.
Iwinski stressed that Russia has dominated the Caspian region for two centuries. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, its positions somewhat weakened. However, Russia is now stepping up efforts and is trying to regain its tight grip on Central Asia, which is of tremendous importance for rival U.S., as well as China and Turkey.
According to Iwinski, Russia`s interests converge with those of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Hence, Russia is seeking to block the regional states` cooperation with the West. After its brief war with Georgia in August 2008, Moscow began threatening these states with the use of force.
``It appears that Russia aims to take control over all of Central Asia`s energy resources,`` Iwinski said.
Zahid Oruj, a member of Azerbaijan`s parliamentary committee on security and defense, said Great Britain lost to Russia in its struggle for clout over the region in the early 20th century, and it now appears that history is repeating itself. He added: ``If Western nations confine themselves to pursuing their economic interests and do not try to solve problems facing the region, they will lose to Russia again.``
Gudrat Hasanguliyev, chairman of the pro-opposition United Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, also believes Russia and Iran are primarily to blame for tension in the Caspian region. According to Hasanguliyev, this view should be unequivocally heard worldwide.
``Azerbaijani officials cannot articulate this, considering certain issues. Europeans should, therefore, take into consideration the positions of Azerbaijan`s civil society representatives and opposition parties at such conferences.``
A representative of the Iranian embassy in Baku who attended the discussions disagreed with the statements, saying tension in the region is being caused not by Russia and Iran, but by outside countries which are seeking to advance their interests while neglecting those of the regional states. As for Tehran, it is trying to closely cooperate with all other states in the region. ``This being said, we should be fair in our comments,`` the embassy representative said.
Michael Hancock, a member of the UK delegation to PACE, said in his remarks that the world community, and those well-versed about the volatile region in particular, should deliver certain messages to Armenia over the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict. ``The Armenian people should understand that settlement of the conflict must be fair.``
Hancock said the Armenians should realize that no country could accept the occupation of 20 percent of its territory and the displacement of a million refugees from their homes, referring to Armenia`s ongoing occupation of Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts.

``Big game``
A ``big game`` is currently underway in the Caspian region, a British analyst told the Baku conference.
Robin Ashby, the Director of the UK Defense Forum, said this game began at the dawn of the 19th century. According to Ashby, the location and abundant natural resources lie at the core of the power struggle in the turbulent South Caucasus region as rival forces seek to gain control over the region`s energy resources and transport routes.
Ashby recalled that the interests of Britain and Russia clashed in the region in the early 20th century. Currently, a staunch geopolitical rivalry is being seen, with both regional and non-regional states seeking to assert their clout.
Ashby said influence over the region is being contested by the United States, Russia, China, the European Union and Iran. Russia temporarily lost its influence in the region in the 1990s, after the USSR`s breakup, but it began to strengthen its clout again due to rising crude prices in recent years. Moscow is trying to capitalize on the opportunities available to control the region`s energy resources and pipelines. At the same time, it is seeking to reduce the regional states` options for exporting their hydrocarbons to energy-thirsty world markets and has achieved some success in accomplishing that goal.
The British analyst said that, despite its endeavors, Russia currently faces serious problems at home. He said President Dmitry Medvedev has admitted that democracy is underdeveloped in his country. In addition, pervasive corruption, an inefficient economy, alcoholism and serious demographic problems are major challenges, Ashby added.
He emphasized that NATO should step up its efforts to achieve stability in the region, as regional states rely on the alliance more than on rival Russia.
Ashby further noted that Turkey`s normalizing its strained relations with Armenia would bolster its leverage in the struggle for influence in the region. He said that if Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian visits the neighboring country, and the protocols recently agreed upon between Ankara and Yerevan are signed, Turkey`s role in the region will increase.