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The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 22 2005
Meetings in Crimea, grumbling in Russia
By Christina Tashkevich
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko,
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Polish President Aleksander
Kwasniewski,
and President Mikheil Saakashvili
Despite the little information and no official agreements
from an informal meeting of the presidents of Georgia,
Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland on Friday to discuss
the initiative of a new regional coalition, Russian political
commentators quickly labeled their meeting in Crimea
as an anti-Russian step.
The presidents gathered on Thursday, August 18, for the celebration
of the 80th anniversary of the children's camp Artek. Donning
neckerchiefs and casual clothes, the presidents dined at the camp's
canteen and played games with children. On Friday, they met at
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko's Crimea residence for informal
talks.
On Thursday Yushchenko met with the presidents of Poland and
Lithuania and held a group meeting when President Saakashvili arrived
later in the day. Topics discussed included the creation of a new
regional alliance and the situation in Belarus.
Last Friday Saakashvili and Yushchenko announced their intention to
create an alliance uniting democracies of Baltic, Black and Caspian
Sea countries called the Community of Democratic Choice.
Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia early Saturday, has yet to
comment on the meeting and left soon after arriving in Georgia to
meet with Armenian President Robert Kocharaian at Lake Sevan.
According to leading Russian political scientists the meeting of the
leaders in Crimea was a demonstration that Presidents Saakashvili and
Yushchenko are following a pro-Western policy and wish to separate
from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The director of private Institute of CIS Countries, Konstantin
Zatulin, told Interfax Friday, "They want to be liked by the West and
demonstrate first of all to Russia that they left the borders of the
CIS."
"Their goal is to receive [money] transfers from the U.S.A. and EU
to use them in the interests of
asserting power and personal enrichment"
He stated that Russia should not make any concessions to these
countries in the future such as speeding up the process of the
withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia.
The president of 'Politics' foundation Viacheslav Nikonov agreed that
the meeting in Crimea was a step of Georgia and Ukraine in founding
an anti-Russian coalition. "Such an alliance can lead to the
isolation of Russia from its largest trade partner - the EU," he told
Interfax.
The Director of Russian Institute of Political Studies Sergey Markov
believes that the United States will be more interested in the
'Democratic Choice' project than Western Europe.
"Their goal is to receive [money] transfers from the U.S.A. and EU to
use them in the interests of asserting power and personal
enrichment," he told Russian media.
A column in Kommersant by Natalia Gevorkian was critical of Russia
for making others fear it. "President Putin was able to achieve his
'high goal' - people are scared of Russia. But it is not fear of a
dangerous and strong adversary. It is fear of a weak and inferiority
complex overridden," she writes, adding:
"The new politicians in neighboring countries do not want to lie
under Moscow anymore. They want to change the situation. Moscow still
would have to sell its natural resources, but its market might shrink
if the neighbors, and Europe as well, have more choices. All roads to
the West would lead through this corridor, which was discussed in the
Artek summit."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasiuk commented on Thursday that
this new alliance would not be, however, an "alternative for the CIS"
and is currently only a concept.
However, Tarasiuk is not surprised that CIS countries have tried to
find other organizations during the last 14 years as the
effectiveness of CIS was low. "Not Ukraine and Georgia caused the
crisis within CIS, but the inability to respond to key issues which
concern the CIS countries," he said at a briefing in Kiev.
After Presidents Saakashvili and Yushchenko announced the alliance
idea in the Borjomi Declaration on Friday, August 12, President of
Lithuania Valdas Adamkus was the first to respond and welcomed the
creation of a coalition of Baltic-Black Sea region countries.
In a statement on his official web site Adamkus addressed Saakashvili
and Yushchenko saying, "Cooperation of countries of the region has a
large prospects."
He said the initiative would be "a strong stimulus to demolishing
separating lines in this region, settle out-of-date conflicts, block
the way to violations of human rights and open opportunities to new
era of democracy, safety, stability and long-term peace."
The president of Lithuania hoped that the leaders of other Baltic
states would support the initiative as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Aug 22 2005
Meetings in Crimea, grumbling in Russia
By Christina Tashkevich
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko,
Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, Polish President Aleksander
Kwasniewski,
and President Mikheil Saakashvili
Despite the little information and no official agreements
from an informal meeting of the presidents of Georgia,
Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland on Friday to discuss
the initiative of a new regional coalition, Russian political
commentators quickly labeled their meeting in Crimea
as an anti-Russian step.
The presidents gathered on Thursday, August 18, for the celebration
of the 80th anniversary of the children's camp Artek. Donning
neckerchiefs and casual clothes, the presidents dined at the camp's
canteen and played games with children. On Friday, they met at
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko's Crimea residence for informal
talks.
On Thursday Yushchenko met with the presidents of Poland and
Lithuania and held a group meeting when President Saakashvili arrived
later in the day. Topics discussed included the creation of a new
regional alliance and the situation in Belarus.
Last Friday Saakashvili and Yushchenko announced their intention to
create an alliance uniting democracies of Baltic, Black and Caspian
Sea countries called the Community of Democratic Choice.
Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia early Saturday, has yet to
comment on the meeting and left soon after arriving in Georgia to
meet with Armenian President Robert Kocharaian at Lake Sevan.
According to leading Russian political scientists the meeting of the
leaders in Crimea was a demonstration that Presidents Saakashvili and
Yushchenko are following a pro-Western policy and wish to separate
from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The director of private Institute of CIS Countries, Konstantin
Zatulin, told Interfax Friday, "They want to be liked by the West and
demonstrate first of all to Russia that they left the borders of the
CIS."
"Their goal is to receive [money] transfers from the U.S.A. and EU
to use them in the interests of
asserting power and personal enrichment"
He stated that Russia should not make any concessions to these
countries in the future such as speeding up the process of the
withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia.
The president of 'Politics' foundation Viacheslav Nikonov agreed that
the meeting in Crimea was a step of Georgia and Ukraine in founding
an anti-Russian coalition. "Such an alliance can lead to the
isolation of Russia from its largest trade partner - the EU," he told
Interfax.
The Director of Russian Institute of Political Studies Sergey Markov
believes that the United States will be more interested in the
'Democratic Choice' project than Western Europe.
"Their goal is to receive [money] transfers from the U.S.A. and EU to
use them in the interests of asserting power and personal
enrichment," he told Russian media.
A column in Kommersant by Natalia Gevorkian was critical of Russia
for making others fear it. "President Putin was able to achieve his
'high goal' - people are scared of Russia. But it is not fear of a
dangerous and strong adversary. It is fear of a weak and inferiority
complex overridden," she writes, adding:
"The new politicians in neighboring countries do not want to lie
under Moscow anymore. They want to change the situation. Moscow still
would have to sell its natural resources, but its market might shrink
if the neighbors, and Europe as well, have more choices. All roads to
the West would lead through this corridor, which was discussed in the
Artek summit."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasiuk commented on Thursday that
this new alliance would not be, however, an "alternative for the CIS"
and is currently only a concept.
However, Tarasiuk is not surprised that CIS countries have tried to
find other organizations during the last 14 years as the
effectiveness of CIS was low. "Not Ukraine and Georgia caused the
crisis within CIS, but the inability to respond to key issues which
concern the CIS countries," he said at a briefing in Kiev.
After Presidents Saakashvili and Yushchenko announced the alliance
idea in the Borjomi Declaration on Friday, August 12, President of
Lithuania Valdas Adamkus was the first to respond and welcomed the
creation of a coalition of Baltic-Black Sea region countries.
In a statement on his official web site Adamkus addressed Saakashvili
and Yushchenko saying, "Cooperation of countries of the region has a
large prospects."
He said the initiative would be "a strong stimulus to demolishing
separating lines in this region, settle out-of-date conflicts, block
the way to violations of human rights and open opportunities to new
era of democracy, safety, stability and long-term peace."
The president of Lithuania hoped that the leaders of other Baltic
states would support the initiative as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress