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PanArmenian News Analysis
Jan 13 2005
AZERBAIJAN HELPS TO RAISE THE BLOCKADE OF ARMENIA?
Official Baku participates in the negotiations on launching the
Abkhazian railway.
The first round of consultations on the issue of creating a
Russian-Georgian-Armenian-Azerbaijan consortium began in Tbilisi. The
consortium is to take up the reconstruction of Transcaucasian railway
passing through Abkhazia. Although concrete decisions have not been
made yet, it is quite obvious that the ice has begun to break. The
information about possible launch of Abkhazian railway has caused a
lot of worry in Azerbaijan. The press in Baku expresses outrage about
the participation of Azerbaijan statesmen in the negotiations on
implementing a project that has a paramount importance for Armenia.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Economically, among the countries of the region
Azerbaijan is least of all interested in launching the Abkhazian
railway. Azerbaijan has railway communication with Russia through
Derbend. Georgia is also forced to use the same road. If the
Abkhazian section is opened, Baku will start losing money for
transit. But in this case the political aspect is more important. The
Abkhazian railway is vitally important for Armenia. Every year
Armenia loses millions of dollars because of the absence of direct
railway communication with the outer world. For Yerevan launching of
the Transcaucasian road will be a breach of blockade, resulting in a
powerful impulse for the development of foreign trade and industry.
They clearly realize it in Baku. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan indirectly
approves its readiness to become a co-founder of the consortium. No
matter how hard the official sources try to deny the fact of
participation in Tbilisi meeting, it is certain that Azerbaijan was
presented there. However, the representatives of the Ministry of
Transport of Azerbaijan did their best to keep the reporters
uninformed about the person representing Azerbaijan in the meeting.
The visit of officials to Tbilisi was nearly confidential since even
the head of the press secretary of the ministry did not know about
that.
But the participation of Azerbaijan in negotiations on creating the
consortium seems paradoxical only from the first glance. Baku leaders
have become convinced that the issue of launching the Abkhazian road
will be solved in any case. So, to control the process, it is better
to take part in that process just to be able to hinder the process
when necessary. Besides, in Baku they realize that the significance
of Abkhazian road for Armenia subsides every month because the issue
of Poti - Caucasus port ferry crossing is almost solved. In such a
situation it would be better for Azerbaijan to try to derive at least
some benefit from the inevitable.
There is still another reason for Azerbaijan's involvement in the
consortium. Participation in the process will enable Azerbaijan to
lobby the construction of Kars - Akhalkalaki railway. It is known
that the Abkhazian road will gain significance for the region if only
it has an outlet to Turkey. Baku tries to speed up the solution of
issue on railway construction, so that Yerevan is dropped out of the
global transport network. It is important for Azerbaijan to manage to
do something before the launch of Kars Gyumri railway which will make
Armenia a transit country. In Baku they rely on the assumption that
the perspective of reactivation of Transcaucasian railway will
activate the issue of constructing Kars-Akhalkalaki railway.
Azerbaijan authorities do not conceal their striving to speed up the
negotiations on constructing the railway aimed at providing direct
communication with Georgia and Turkey. Official Baku did everything
to achieve success in the negotiations between the minister of
transport of Turkey Binali Iyildirim and the minister of economic
development of Georgia Aleko Aleksishvili. The meeting took place at
the end of last year in Tbilisi. During the meeting it was decided to
create a bilateral working group which will study all the details and
submit a report. Azerbaijan confirms its readiness to participate in
the funding of the project which seems to be doomed to death. It is
obvious that Baku is interested in the success of the project more
than Ankara and Tbilisi. The trouble is that Baku officials have less
and less grounds for optimism since Turkey becomes more and more
yielding in the question of opening the border with Armenia. The
illusions of Azerbaijan concerning the perspectives of Kars -
Akhalkalaki project will drift away already in April when the work
group announces its findings and conclusions on the economic
expediency of constructing a new railway in the presence of already
existing one.
Jan 13 2005
AZERBAIJAN HELPS TO RAISE THE BLOCKADE OF ARMENIA?
Official Baku participates in the negotiations on launching the
Abkhazian railway.
The first round of consultations on the issue of creating a
Russian-Georgian-Armenian-Azerbaijan consortium began in Tbilisi. The
consortium is to take up the reconstruction of Transcaucasian railway
passing through Abkhazia. Although concrete decisions have not been
made yet, it is quite obvious that the ice has begun to break. The
information about possible launch of Abkhazian railway has caused a
lot of worry in Azerbaijan. The press in Baku expresses outrage about
the participation of Azerbaijan statesmen in the negotiations on
implementing a project that has a paramount importance for Armenia.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Economically, among the countries of the region
Azerbaijan is least of all interested in launching the Abkhazian
railway. Azerbaijan has railway communication with Russia through
Derbend. Georgia is also forced to use the same road. If the
Abkhazian section is opened, Baku will start losing money for
transit. But in this case the political aspect is more important. The
Abkhazian railway is vitally important for Armenia. Every year
Armenia loses millions of dollars because of the absence of direct
railway communication with the outer world. For Yerevan launching of
the Transcaucasian road will be a breach of blockade, resulting in a
powerful impulse for the development of foreign trade and industry.
They clearly realize it in Baku. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan indirectly
approves its readiness to become a co-founder of the consortium. No
matter how hard the official sources try to deny the fact of
participation in Tbilisi meeting, it is certain that Azerbaijan was
presented there. However, the representatives of the Ministry of
Transport of Azerbaijan did their best to keep the reporters
uninformed about the person representing Azerbaijan in the meeting.
The visit of officials to Tbilisi was nearly confidential since even
the head of the press secretary of the ministry did not know about
that.
But the participation of Azerbaijan in negotiations on creating the
consortium seems paradoxical only from the first glance. Baku leaders
have become convinced that the issue of launching the Abkhazian road
will be solved in any case. So, to control the process, it is better
to take part in that process just to be able to hinder the process
when necessary. Besides, in Baku they realize that the significance
of Abkhazian road for Armenia subsides every month because the issue
of Poti - Caucasus port ferry crossing is almost solved. In such a
situation it would be better for Azerbaijan to try to derive at least
some benefit from the inevitable.
There is still another reason for Azerbaijan's involvement in the
consortium. Participation in the process will enable Azerbaijan to
lobby the construction of Kars - Akhalkalaki railway. It is known
that the Abkhazian road will gain significance for the region if only
it has an outlet to Turkey. Baku tries to speed up the solution of
issue on railway construction, so that Yerevan is dropped out of the
global transport network. It is important for Azerbaijan to manage to
do something before the launch of Kars Gyumri railway which will make
Armenia a transit country. In Baku they rely on the assumption that
the perspective of reactivation of Transcaucasian railway will
activate the issue of constructing Kars-Akhalkalaki railway.
Azerbaijan authorities do not conceal their striving to speed up the
negotiations on constructing the railway aimed at providing direct
communication with Georgia and Turkey. Official Baku did everything
to achieve success in the negotiations between the minister of
transport of Turkey Binali Iyildirim and the minister of economic
development of Georgia Aleko Aleksishvili. The meeting took place at
the end of last year in Tbilisi. During the meeting it was decided to
create a bilateral working group which will study all the details and
submit a report. Azerbaijan confirms its readiness to participate in
the funding of the project which seems to be doomed to death. It is
obvious that Baku is interested in the success of the project more
than Ankara and Tbilisi. The trouble is that Baku officials have less
and less grounds for optimism since Turkey becomes more and more
yielding in the question of opening the border with Armenia. The
illusions of Azerbaijan concerning the perspectives of Kars -
Akhalkalaki project will drift away already in April when the work
group announces its findings and conclusions on the economic
expediency of constructing a new railway in the presence of already
existing one.