Why did Shoigu arrive?

The Military-technical cooperation, regional security and Karabakh are the topics  discussed in Baku by  the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, reports Zvezdatv.ru site close to the Russian Defense Ministry. Details of the talks were not disclosed, but  Turan`s experts think some  obvious conclusions can be made.

First of all,  discussing  regional security issues now means the further harmonization of Russia's actions against Syria. In recent years,  Russia’s further strategic aviation bombed several times LIH position in Syria. However, these aircraft are not based at the airbase Hyeymim, as Su-24, MiG-29 and Su-27. This means that the aircrafts take off in Russia, fly to Syria, bomb and return. Until now, the Defense Ministry did not inform the flight route of the strategic bombers, as well as the airport, from where they fly. It is no secret that the closest such airfield is in the Astrakhan region, and if to look at a map, it is easy to notice that there are two ways to Syria: on the Caspian Sea via Iran and Iraq, or via Georgia, the Black Sea and Turkey. The second option so far was not possible due to the lack of relations between Tbilisi and Ankara and Turkey's membership in NATO. But even after the normalization of relations in recent days similar route is unrealistic. Flight of the first route also requires coordination with the United States that monitor the skies of Iraq, but Washington and Moscow have repeatedly stated that Russia has agreed  the  flights of its aircraft with Washington.

Considering that the war continues, and it is not known how long it will last, Moscow may ask Baku to provide, if necessary, its military airfields for its strategic aviation for emergency landings or refueling. Furthermore, this will reduce flies. Another issue of discussion Shoigu may become an issue that unexpectedly appeared last year, when the same edition Zvezdatv.ru unexpectedly announced that Baku and Moscow discuss the creation of a new Russian radar in Azerbaijan instead of closing the outdated Gabala Radar Station.

In favor of discussing such  important and strategic objectives speaks the level of the participants, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation does not go abroad  on every occasion. In addition, on the eve took place the meetings of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia, and just before to Moscow flew  the Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.

Zvezdatv.ru also notes that Sergei Shoigu and Ilham Aliyev discussed separately the Karabakh settlement. This could mean two things: Possible deployment of peacekeepers in the conflict zone, and the possible future course of hostilities. That is, the  talk could be on the fate of most of those five regions around Karabakh, the release of which is so keenly debated today.

Finally, the last question, a military-technical cooperation. While this issue was considered by the  Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, Shoigu’s participation can only enhance the factor of rapprochement and cooperation of the military of the two countries. Finally, there is one theme that seems fantastic today, but it cannot be ruled out. Economic cooperation between Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan, as well as the normalization of relations between Moscow and Ankara may encourage the parties to the formation of a certain military alliance against a common enemy - LIH. It is possible that in the region will appear something like CENTO and SEATO that  used to exist in the Middle East CENTO and SEATO,  and the place of Washington will occupy  Moscow. -02В-