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SARKOZY IN THE CAUCASUS
by Kamer Kasim
JOURNAL OF TURKISH WEEKLY
http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3535/sarkozy-in-the-caucasus.html
Oct 21 2011
USAK Center for EU Studies
During his recent visit to Armenia, President Nicolas Sarkozy of
France made statements which sparked reaction in both Turkey and
Azerbaijan. This was not just because they reflected a general
tendency by France to accept Armenians' historical claims against
Turkey but also because they contained messages regarding Turkey. It is
well-known that the Armenian diaspora has an established place in the
French political system. During election campaigns French politicians
endorse Armenia and Armenian claims of genocide in order to pick up
Armenian votes. President Sarkozy's remarks have to be viewed within
the context of the presidential elections due in France in 2012. In
addition it is striking that the French president's visit to the
countries of the southern Caucasus. Because of its petrol and natural
gas resources, as well as its population size and income levels,
Azerbaijan is usually considered to be the most important country of
the southern Caucasus, but despite France's energy interests in this
country, Sarkozy gave priority to Armenian.
Azerbaijan will no doubt closely review this fact.
France is also the co-chairman of the Minsk Group, set up by the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to resolve
the Nagorno Karabagh dispute. The Minsk Group has not only failed
to find a solution and France in particular has not maintained
an impartial stand. In March 2008 the UN General Assembly adopted
a resolution concerning occupied Azerbaijani territory. Both the
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group voted against the resolution
which stressed the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and called on
Armenian forces to withdraw from the Azerbaijani territory that they
are occupying. This shook Azerbaijani confidence in the Minsk Group.
Inside the EU there was discussion about the possible removal of
France from the joint chairmanship of the Minsk Group and the EU being
represented there instead. France vehemently opposes this proposal.
France is trying to play a role in the Middle East and the Caucasus
out of proportion to its strengths and its actions there suggest that
it places its French identity about its EU identity. Turkey possesses
more soft power than France does in the Middle East and Caucasus and
its influence there is steadily growing. The transformation which
we call the 'Arab Spring' is causing the emergence of a style of
popularly-based government and in the future this factor will operate
even more in favour of Turkey. This situation makes France uneasy.
Sarkozy opposes Turkey's accession to the EU and he regards the
Armenian genocide claims as an instrument to deploy against the
Turkish candidacy. The French head of state jumbles historical facts
and cannot confront his own history, so naturally there is nothing
whatsoever that he can say to Turkey.
Looking specifically at Sarkozy's visit to the southern Caucasus,
it was the messages relating to his own domestic politics delivered
during the Armenian leg of the journey which attracted attention.
During his visit to Azerbaijan, the essential stress was on cooperation
between the two countries in the field of energy. Another noteworthy
point was that Sarkozy's called for talks on the Karabagh Problem
to be reviewed within the framework of the Minsk Group and that
he sounded excessively optimistic on the subject. During his visit
to Armenian, Sarkozy remarked that the existing status of Nagorno
Karabagh was not sustainable indefinitely and this was favourably
received in Azerbaijan. But Sarkozy does not hold that the occupation
of Azerbaijani territory there should end and that UN Resolutions
on the issue should be enforced. The President's visit to Georgia
was taken up with discussions of events during the Russian-Georgian
conflict of 2008 and subsequently. As France was president of the EU
at the time of the crisis, Sarkozy met President Medvedev then and
a six point Declaration of Principles was agreed.
This declaration made the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia a matter
for international discussion but Russia has nonetheless recognized
the independence of these two areas. Sarkozy stated that he had
been able to obtain the maximum result by obtaining the withdrawal
of Russian forces from all Georgian territory outside Abkhazia and
South Ossetia and these remarks were criticised by some observers in
Georgia. Alexander Rondeli, President of the Georgian Foundation for
Strategic and International Studies, says that the situation being
described as a 'maximum result' was not really a gain if it simply
secured the withdrawal of Russian forces from territory occupied in
August 2008 and not that occupied earlier.
In neither of its roles - whether in its efforts to find a solution for
Nagorno Karabagh as joint chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group or in the
quest for a settlement in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August 2008
and later - France has not been an effective player. What is more,
these were issues where the EU could play an effective role by acting
in unison, but by suppressing the EU role and giving priority to its
own issues, France has impaired the influence of the EU.
by Kamer Kasim
JOURNAL OF TURKISH WEEKLY
http://www.turkishweekly.net/columnist/3535/sarkozy-in-the-caucasus.html
Oct 21 2011
USAK Center for EU Studies
During his recent visit to Armenia, President Nicolas Sarkozy of
France made statements which sparked reaction in both Turkey and
Azerbaijan. This was not just because they reflected a general
tendency by France to accept Armenians' historical claims against
Turkey but also because they contained messages regarding Turkey. It is
well-known that the Armenian diaspora has an established place in the
French political system. During election campaigns French politicians
endorse Armenia and Armenian claims of genocide in order to pick up
Armenian votes. President Sarkozy's remarks have to be viewed within
the context of the presidential elections due in France in 2012. In
addition it is striking that the French president's visit to the
countries of the southern Caucasus. Because of its petrol and natural
gas resources, as well as its population size and income levels,
Azerbaijan is usually considered to be the most important country of
the southern Caucasus, but despite France's energy interests in this
country, Sarkozy gave priority to Armenian.
Azerbaijan will no doubt closely review this fact.
France is also the co-chairman of the Minsk Group, set up by the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to resolve
the Nagorno Karabagh dispute. The Minsk Group has not only failed
to find a solution and France in particular has not maintained
an impartial stand. In March 2008 the UN General Assembly adopted
a resolution concerning occupied Azerbaijani territory. Both the
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group voted against the resolution
which stressed the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and called on
Armenian forces to withdraw from the Azerbaijani territory that they
are occupying. This shook Azerbaijani confidence in the Minsk Group.
Inside the EU there was discussion about the possible removal of
France from the joint chairmanship of the Minsk Group and the EU being
represented there instead. France vehemently opposes this proposal.
France is trying to play a role in the Middle East and the Caucasus
out of proportion to its strengths and its actions there suggest that
it places its French identity about its EU identity. Turkey possesses
more soft power than France does in the Middle East and Caucasus and
its influence there is steadily growing. The transformation which
we call the 'Arab Spring' is causing the emergence of a style of
popularly-based government and in the future this factor will operate
even more in favour of Turkey. This situation makes France uneasy.
Sarkozy opposes Turkey's accession to the EU and he regards the
Armenian genocide claims as an instrument to deploy against the
Turkish candidacy. The French head of state jumbles historical facts
and cannot confront his own history, so naturally there is nothing
whatsoever that he can say to Turkey.
Looking specifically at Sarkozy's visit to the southern Caucasus,
it was the messages relating to his own domestic politics delivered
during the Armenian leg of the journey which attracted attention.
During his visit to Azerbaijan, the essential stress was on cooperation
between the two countries in the field of energy. Another noteworthy
point was that Sarkozy's called for talks on the Karabagh Problem
to be reviewed within the framework of the Minsk Group and that
he sounded excessively optimistic on the subject. During his visit
to Armenian, Sarkozy remarked that the existing status of Nagorno
Karabagh was not sustainable indefinitely and this was favourably
received in Azerbaijan. But Sarkozy does not hold that the occupation
of Azerbaijani territory there should end and that UN Resolutions
on the issue should be enforced. The President's visit to Georgia
was taken up with discussions of events during the Russian-Georgian
conflict of 2008 and subsequently. As France was president of the EU
at the time of the crisis, Sarkozy met President Medvedev then and
a six point Declaration of Principles was agreed.
This declaration made the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia a matter
for international discussion but Russia has nonetheless recognized
the independence of these two areas. Sarkozy stated that he had
been able to obtain the maximum result by obtaining the withdrawal
of Russian forces from all Georgian territory outside Abkhazia and
South Ossetia and these remarks were criticised by some observers in
Georgia. Alexander Rondeli, President of the Georgian Foundation for
Strategic and International Studies, says that the situation being
described as a 'maximum result' was not really a gain if it simply
secured the withdrawal of Russian forces from territory occupied in
August 2008 and not that occupied earlier.
In neither of its roles - whether in its efforts to find a solution for
Nagorno Karabagh as joint chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group or in the
quest for a settlement in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August 2008
and later - France has not been an effective player. What is more,
these were issues where the EU could play an effective role by acting
in unison, but by suppressing the EU role and giving priority to its
own issues, France has impaired the influence of the EU.