Having internationalized Azerbaijan's establishment as a state in 1990s, the oil industry simultaneously internationalized the consensus in the issue of preventing resumption of military actions threatening it, Laurence Broers, SOAS University of London, Centre of Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus, Department Member, told ArmInfo.
"In this context, the Azerbaijani oil is an integral element of the status-quo and it holds from resumption of the military actions. However, oil is not the major problem connected with the territories and security, though the oil factor played a huge and controversial role in building of the destroyed Azerbaijani state," he said.
Broers said it was the "deal of the century" that at a critical moment internationalized the idea and legitimacy of Azerbaijan's statehood. The oil dollars enable Azerbaijan to consolidate the acting elites, re- arm and inspire Baku with self-confidence.
"In this sense, he said, the oil can be considered as the key factor of Azerbaijan's refusal to accept the status-quo, though oil will run out sooner or later, but the Karabakh conflict will remain," he said.