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Georgia is the main target of Azerbaijani-Turkish expansion
By Hrant MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN, www.Times.am
07/31/2010
Turkish-Azerbaijani business forum took place in Baku on 29 July
2010. Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev
and State Minister for Foreign Trade of Turkey Zafer Chaglayan were
present at the forum. From the first sights this event attracts
attention as the ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey pointed out the
priority directions of foreign trade policies of these states. `We
believe that businessmen from Azerbaijan and
Turkey can undertake joint investments in third countries. This is a
new direction for cooperation between entrepreneurs of both countries,
and we are sure this can be effective `, - said S. Mustafayev during
the above mentioned business forum. In his turn, State Minister of
Foreign Trade
of Turkey Z. Chaglayan noted that Azerbaijani and Turkish businessmen
could be implemented, for a start, joint investments in the economies
of neighboring countries. As for example Z. Chaglayan noted Georgia
and Kazakhstan.
Note that the Azerbaijani-Turkish capital is already long time present
in the Georgian market. Financial flows from Azerbaijan will focus
mainly on energy and transportation and communication sectors of the
economy of Georgia. In addition to this, during the recent years,
official Baku has sought a foothold in the banking and construction
segment Georgian economy. Now
Baku authorities decided to increase their economic impact on
neighboring Georgia, judging by the statements of Minister
Mustafayev. By this step they will also attract Turkish capital.
On July 18, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a one-day visit
Adjarian town of Batumi in Georgia. Aliev's visit was rather
unexpected for the media and the public of both countries. During a
joint press conference with Mikheil Sahakashvili Aliyev mentioned that
he welcomes Azerbaijan's investments in Georgian economy, and
expressed the hope that soon they will grow up. In his turn,
Saakashvili said that their countries should establish a confederal
relationship, since the relations between Georgia and
Azerbaijan go beyond mere partnerships and alliances. Sahakashvili
said in
particular: `Our countries are continuation of each other, an edge of
each other and a part of one organism. It is unable to provide a
better relationship than they are between Georgia and Azerbaijan'. But
is it really
so?
The reality is that there are many problems between Georgia and
Azerbaijan. There are many reasons for not balanced and not friendly
relations between two countries. Such problems are for example a
delimitation of boundaries
between the two republics, azeri minority in Georgia, the return of
Meskhetians in their places of origin, and selfish, aggressive
policies of Mikhail Saakashvili, which put at risk the Azeri energy
and transportation projects etc. .
In addition to all these problems between two `friendly' countries
Armenian question is always actual. It is not a secret that the whole
foreign policy of Azerbaijan is aimed to isolate Armenia from regional
economic projects. However, Georgia is one of the two existing
corridors linking Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh with the outside
world. Therefore, for more effective implementation of the main
foreign policy objectives, Azerbaijan seeks as much as possible to
subject Georgia to his will. And the above-mentioned priorities of
investment policy of Azerbaijan and Turkey in the neighboring
countries serve this purpose.
It would be naive to assume that the Azeri-Turkish alliance hopes for
substantial financial return from investment in Georgia's economy,
because the only profitable sector of Georgia, which is transport and
communication sector is already monopolized. The conquest of other
segments of the Georgian economy is nothing but a continuation of the
expansionist policy of Turkey and Azerbaijan against Georgia. Policy,
which sees Azerbaijan and Georgia as a single organism, involves the
creation of a confederation. But not Azerbaijani-Georgian, as it's
seen by Mr. Sahakashvili, but Azeri-Turkish, as it had long been
planned by pan-Turkic ideologues.
From: A. Papazian
By Hrant MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN, www.Times.am
07/31/2010
Turkish-Azerbaijani business forum took place in Baku on 29 July
2010. Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev
and State Minister for Foreign Trade of Turkey Zafer Chaglayan were
present at the forum. From the first sights this event attracts
attention as the ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey pointed out the
priority directions of foreign trade policies of these states. `We
believe that businessmen from Azerbaijan and
Turkey can undertake joint investments in third countries. This is a
new direction for cooperation between entrepreneurs of both countries,
and we are sure this can be effective `, - said S. Mustafayev during
the above mentioned business forum. In his turn, State Minister of
Foreign Trade
of Turkey Z. Chaglayan noted that Azerbaijani and Turkish businessmen
could be implemented, for a start, joint investments in the economies
of neighboring countries. As for example Z. Chaglayan noted Georgia
and Kazakhstan.
Note that the Azerbaijani-Turkish capital is already long time present
in the Georgian market. Financial flows from Azerbaijan will focus
mainly on energy and transportation and communication sectors of the
economy of Georgia. In addition to this, during the recent years,
official Baku has sought a foothold in the banking and construction
segment Georgian economy. Now
Baku authorities decided to increase their economic impact on
neighboring Georgia, judging by the statements of Minister
Mustafayev. By this step they will also attract Turkish capital.
On July 18, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a one-day visit
Adjarian town of Batumi in Georgia. Aliev's visit was rather
unexpected for the media and the public of both countries. During a
joint press conference with Mikheil Sahakashvili Aliyev mentioned that
he welcomes Azerbaijan's investments in Georgian economy, and
expressed the hope that soon they will grow up. In his turn,
Saakashvili said that their countries should establish a confederal
relationship, since the relations between Georgia and
Azerbaijan go beyond mere partnerships and alliances. Sahakashvili
said in
particular: `Our countries are continuation of each other, an edge of
each other and a part of one organism. It is unable to provide a
better relationship than they are between Georgia and Azerbaijan'. But
is it really
so?
The reality is that there are many problems between Georgia and
Azerbaijan. There are many reasons for not balanced and not friendly
relations between two countries. Such problems are for example a
delimitation of boundaries
between the two republics, azeri minority in Georgia, the return of
Meskhetians in their places of origin, and selfish, aggressive
policies of Mikhail Saakashvili, which put at risk the Azeri energy
and transportation projects etc. .
In addition to all these problems between two `friendly' countries
Armenian question is always actual. It is not a secret that the whole
foreign policy of Azerbaijan is aimed to isolate Armenia from regional
economic projects. However, Georgia is one of the two existing
corridors linking Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh with the outside
world. Therefore, for more effective implementation of the main
foreign policy objectives, Azerbaijan seeks as much as possible to
subject Georgia to his will. And the above-mentioned priorities of
investment policy of Azerbaijan and Turkey in the neighboring
countries serve this purpose.
It would be naive to assume that the Azeri-Turkish alliance hopes for
substantial financial return from investment in Georgia's economy,
because the only profitable sector of Georgia, which is transport and
communication sector is already monopolized. The conquest of other
segments of the Georgian economy is nothing but a continuation of the
expansionist policy of Turkey and Azerbaijan against Georgia. Policy,
which sees Azerbaijan and Georgia as a single organism, involves the
creation of a confederation. But not Azerbaijani-Georgian, as it's
seen by Mr. Sahakashvili, but Azeri-Turkish, as it had long been
planned by pan-Turkic ideologues.
From: A. Papazian