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WPS Agency, Russia
April 29 2011
AMERICAN INSPECTOR
by Yuri Roks
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 90, April 29, 2011, p. 1
U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE TINA S. KAIDANOW. HER VISIT
TO THE CAUCASUS AND PARALLELS WITH NORTH AFRICA; Senior functionary of
the U.S. Department of State is touring the Caucasus.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Tina S. Kaidanow completed
the Azerbaijani and Georgian parts of her tour of the South Caucasus
and moved to Yerevan, Armenia. In all three countries of the region
Kaidanow met with representatives of the authorities, opposition
leaders, and non-governmental organizations. Formally, Kaidanow is on
a fact-finding mission with regard to the condition of democracy and
democratic processes in the region. Domestic situation in some
countries of the region in the meantime permit experts to draw
parallels with what is happening in North Africa.
Kaidanow's visit to the restive South Caucasus fomented rumors on the
forthcoming political changes in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.
Considering the processes in North Africa and Middle East and
activization of the opposition in republics of the South Caucasus,
Kaidanow's visit looks kind of ominous. Permanent protests in Georgia
and Armenia are something the international community (the part of it
that cares, that is) is used to, but protests in Azerbaijan turned out
to be unexpected - even though they were small and promptly dispersed
by the police. In other words, the visit of Kaidanow, America's former
ambassador to Kosovo, could not help fomenting speculations on "color"
processes in the region. Moreover, Kaidanow went to Baku from Tbilisi
accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijani Matthew Bryza. It was
during her stay in Tbilisi that Bryza engineered a conference of
America's top diplomats in the region.
The rendezvous failed to live up to the expectations. American
Ambassador to Armenia Mary Jovanovich begged off and sent an envoy in
her own stead. Even this fact set the tongues wagging. Jovanovich's
name is associated with the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan where she
was an ambassador before going to Armenia. In Armenia the opposition
scheduled a mass protest for this Thursday. Political tension in this
particular republic is high even by the local standards.
The Armenian authorities know that they are walking on thin ice.
President Serj Sargsjan told law enforcement agencies Wednesday to let
the opposition meet and protest at the usual site in the capital. He
instructed the Justice Ministry to draw the laws that would defuse the
political situation. All of that failed. The Armenian National
Congress headed by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosjan urged its
followers to meet Thursday all the same.
According to Bryza, American top diplomats in Tbilisi discussed he
situation in the Caucasus. That was definitely a vague statement that
did not really explain anything. As for Kaidanow, she made no secret
of the purposes of her visit. In Tbilisi, she met with opposition
leaders and discussed the forthcoming parliamentary (in 2012) and
presidential (2013) elections with them. Kaidanow backed the plans of
the Georgian opposition to improve the Election Code and essentially
encouraged the authorities to stop emulating the talks but initiate a
constructive dialogue with the opposition. The Georgian opposition was
ebullient.
Kaidanow said that the U.S. Administration expected democratic free
and fair elections in Georgia.
As a matter of fact, she had said essentially the same thing when in
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It stands to reason to expect
something like that as well during her stay in Yerevan.
[translated from Russian]
From: A. Papazian
April 29 2011
AMERICAN INSPECTOR
by Yuri Roks
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 90, April 29, 2011, p. 1
U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE TINA S. KAIDANOW. HER VISIT
TO THE CAUCASUS AND PARALLELS WITH NORTH AFRICA; Senior functionary of
the U.S. Department of State is touring the Caucasus.
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Tina S. Kaidanow completed
the Azerbaijani and Georgian parts of her tour of the South Caucasus
and moved to Yerevan, Armenia. In all three countries of the region
Kaidanow met with representatives of the authorities, opposition
leaders, and non-governmental organizations. Formally, Kaidanow is on
a fact-finding mission with regard to the condition of democracy and
democratic processes in the region. Domestic situation in some
countries of the region in the meantime permit experts to draw
parallels with what is happening in North Africa.
Kaidanow's visit to the restive South Caucasus fomented rumors on the
forthcoming political changes in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.
Considering the processes in North Africa and Middle East and
activization of the opposition in republics of the South Caucasus,
Kaidanow's visit looks kind of ominous. Permanent protests in Georgia
and Armenia are something the international community (the part of it
that cares, that is) is used to, but protests in Azerbaijan turned out
to be unexpected - even though they were small and promptly dispersed
by the police. In other words, the visit of Kaidanow, America's former
ambassador to Kosovo, could not help fomenting speculations on "color"
processes in the region. Moreover, Kaidanow went to Baku from Tbilisi
accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijani Matthew Bryza. It was
during her stay in Tbilisi that Bryza engineered a conference of
America's top diplomats in the region.
The rendezvous failed to live up to the expectations. American
Ambassador to Armenia Mary Jovanovich begged off and sent an envoy in
her own stead. Even this fact set the tongues wagging. Jovanovich's
name is associated with the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan where she
was an ambassador before going to Armenia. In Armenia the opposition
scheduled a mass protest for this Thursday. Political tension in this
particular republic is high even by the local standards.
The Armenian authorities know that they are walking on thin ice.
President Serj Sargsjan told law enforcement agencies Wednesday to let
the opposition meet and protest at the usual site in the capital. He
instructed the Justice Ministry to draw the laws that would defuse the
political situation. All of that failed. The Armenian National
Congress headed by ex-president Levon Ter-Petrosjan urged its
followers to meet Thursday all the same.
According to Bryza, American top diplomats in Tbilisi discussed he
situation in the Caucasus. That was definitely a vague statement that
did not really explain anything. As for Kaidanow, she made no secret
of the purposes of her visit. In Tbilisi, she met with opposition
leaders and discussed the forthcoming parliamentary (in 2012) and
presidential (2013) elections with them. Kaidanow backed the plans of
the Georgian opposition to improve the Election Code and essentially
encouraged the authorities to stop emulating the talks but initiate a
constructive dialogue with the opposition. The Georgian opposition was
ebullient.
Kaidanow said that the U.S. Administration expected democratic free
and fair elections in Georgia.
As a matter of fact, she had said essentially the same thing when in
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It stands to reason to expect
something like that as well during her stay in Yerevan.
[translated from Russian]
From: A. Papazian