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Another `Project of the Century' by Aliyev-Saakashvili
The project AGRI will not work until the USA supports it.
Presidents of Georgia and Azerbaijan, following in the footsteps of
their predecessors Heydar Aliyev and Eduard Shevardnadze, once again
initiated a `project of the century', this time a gas one. At the Baku
meeting the Presidents together with the Leader of Romania Traian
Basescu signed an agreement on the new energy project
Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) for transportation of
Azerbaijani liquefied gas to Europe.
September 17, 2010PanARMENIAN.Net - This project is certainly
political, since the economic component of the project would be more
than problematic. According to Stratfor, in terms of technology and
logistics, this project is very ambitious, but if we speak the truth
it is simply unrealistic. `The estimated cost of the project could
range from two billion to five billion dollars, which is simply an
unmanageable amount for these countries. Another aspect is location.
The pipeline, which is to transport the Azerbaijani gas to Georgia,
will be passing by Abkhazia and the restless Georgian republic, which
is practically under Russian control. Russian troops are based there,
and Russia, if she wishes, may well cause damage to the objects,'
experts say.
However, the matter, as it is always the case in the Caucasus, is
purely political. Georgia and Romania have problems with Russia,
Azerbaijan has problems with Armenia, so the pipeline, if it is ever
implemented, will put first Armenia, and then also Russia into a very
awkward situation. And if we also add to this the `discontent' of
Azerbaijan about the Russian military base in Gyumri, it becomes clear
what is hidden behind the agreement of AGRI. However, the project is
not approved by Turkey, which wants to use the Azeri gas herself in
her projects. In essence, Baku, Tbilisi and recently also Bucharest
have been trying to show their `independence' especially in regard to
energy. But the situation is not that easy; the project will not work
until the USA supports it. But, the thing is, that she is not in a
situation to waste money on unprofitable projects. Unprofitable from
the point of view of Washington, of course. This project is neither
supported by Russia, who recently declared about her terminating the
negotiations over the pipeline Samsun-Ceyhan. Moscow believes that the
pipeline Burgas-Alexandroupolis is more attractive, at least because
there has already been done rather much work and construction can be
launched this year.
But all of this, let us repeat, is directed against Armenia, Russia
and to some extent, also Iran. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania somehow
forget that the possession of convenient transit and energy cannot put
the country among the powers. In order to achieve this, these
countries have to do something completely different. However,
possessed by megalomania and trying to be `independent', Saakashvili
and Aliyev do not notice or do not want to take into account the
interests of the powers, for instance, in the Caspian region. This is
one of the reasons why the project cannot be implemented.
Meanwhile, Georgia has been successfully doing her part of the job
directed to the isolation of Armenia, trying to cajole Azerbaijan and
carry out another abstract project - establishment of the
Azerbaijani-Georgian confederation. The last thing Georgia did towards
realization of this project was just another closing of the Upper Lars
checkpoint. Informed circles report that Tbilisi, in this way showed
her protest against the fact that Armenia had voted against the
Georgian resolution in the UN. And the second reason - Georgia closed
the Upper Lars at the request of Turkey, which wants to exclude
Armenian grapes from the Russian market. Behavior of Georgia clearly
fits into the frames defined by the Georgian Foreign Ministry: Armenia
has always voted against Georgia in international bodies, so we'll
give an adequate response.
Here are our neighbors, Christians, and what to speak of Muslim Turks,
who are no longer one nation - two states, but already one nation -
six states?
Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News
From: A. Papazian
The project AGRI will not work until the USA supports it.
Presidents of Georgia and Azerbaijan, following in the footsteps of
their predecessors Heydar Aliyev and Eduard Shevardnadze, once again
initiated a `project of the century', this time a gas one. At the Baku
meeting the Presidents together with the Leader of Romania Traian
Basescu signed an agreement on the new energy project
Azerbaijan-Georgia-Romania Interconnector (AGRI) for transportation of
Azerbaijani liquefied gas to Europe.
September 17, 2010PanARMENIAN.Net - This project is certainly
political, since the economic component of the project would be more
than problematic. According to Stratfor, in terms of technology and
logistics, this project is very ambitious, but if we speak the truth
it is simply unrealistic. `The estimated cost of the project could
range from two billion to five billion dollars, which is simply an
unmanageable amount for these countries. Another aspect is location.
The pipeline, which is to transport the Azerbaijani gas to Georgia,
will be passing by Abkhazia and the restless Georgian republic, which
is practically under Russian control. Russian troops are based there,
and Russia, if she wishes, may well cause damage to the objects,'
experts say.
However, the matter, as it is always the case in the Caucasus, is
purely political. Georgia and Romania have problems with Russia,
Azerbaijan has problems with Armenia, so the pipeline, if it is ever
implemented, will put first Armenia, and then also Russia into a very
awkward situation. And if we also add to this the `discontent' of
Azerbaijan about the Russian military base in Gyumri, it becomes clear
what is hidden behind the agreement of AGRI. However, the project is
not approved by Turkey, which wants to use the Azeri gas herself in
her projects. In essence, Baku, Tbilisi and recently also Bucharest
have been trying to show their `independence' especially in regard to
energy. But the situation is not that easy; the project will not work
until the USA supports it. But, the thing is, that she is not in a
situation to waste money on unprofitable projects. Unprofitable from
the point of view of Washington, of course. This project is neither
supported by Russia, who recently declared about her terminating the
negotiations over the pipeline Samsun-Ceyhan. Moscow believes that the
pipeline Burgas-Alexandroupolis is more attractive, at least because
there has already been done rather much work and construction can be
launched this year.
But all of this, let us repeat, is directed against Armenia, Russia
and to some extent, also Iran. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania somehow
forget that the possession of convenient transit and energy cannot put
the country among the powers. In order to achieve this, these
countries have to do something completely different. However,
possessed by megalomania and trying to be `independent', Saakashvili
and Aliyev do not notice or do not want to take into account the
interests of the powers, for instance, in the Caspian region. This is
one of the reasons why the project cannot be implemented.
Meanwhile, Georgia has been successfully doing her part of the job
directed to the isolation of Armenia, trying to cajole Azerbaijan and
carry out another abstract project - establishment of the
Azerbaijani-Georgian confederation. The last thing Georgia did towards
realization of this project was just another closing of the Upper Lars
checkpoint. Informed circles report that Tbilisi, in this way showed
her protest against the fact that Armenia had voted against the
Georgian resolution in the UN. And the second reason - Georgia closed
the Upper Lars at the request of Turkey, which wants to exclude
Armenian grapes from the Russian market. Behavior of Georgia clearly
fits into the frames defined by the Georgian Foreign Ministry: Armenia
has always voted against Georgia in international bodies, so we'll
give an adequate response.
Here are our neighbors, Christians, and what to speak of Muslim Turks,
who are no longer one nation - two states, but already one nation -
six states?
Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News
From: A. Papazian