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CLASH OF TITANS: WORLD PLAYERS' COMMUNICATION PLANS FOR ARMENIA
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow
19.07.12 | 15:30
Armenia might become a key country for communication and other
projects to be implemented in the South Caucasus and over which the
USA, Russia and Iran are engaged in an implicit war.
Most active among them is Iran. An unprecedented number of Iranian
top-brass representatives visited Armenia during the past month,
among them Vice-President Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh, before him
minister of internal affairs, and other officials. Iran and Armenia
signed an agreement on opening a Peace Park on the shared border,
as well as a free trade zone and a market.
At the same time the long-discussed railway project was on the
table, too, however, judging from official information, there are no
agreements on communications yet.
During the past month high-ranking Russian officials, too, have paid
visits to the Armenian capital, in particular head of the Federation
Council Valentina Matvienko, who is believed to be a loyal member of
Putin's team. She made a number of important statements: first of
all, she called upon the Armenian parliament "to urgently consider
and ratify the agreement on CIS Free Trade Zone", and secondly, she
stated that "integration in the post-Soviet space doesn't contradict
European integration".
Almost simultaneously and quite suddenly Georgian foreign minister
Grigol Vashadze arrived in Yerevan, but refused to communicate with
the press. Instead, in an interview to Echo of Moscow radio station
he in fact revealed Georgia's refusal to open a railway communication
with Russia through Abkhazia.
There is news that Moscow has asked Yerevan to invite Vashadze to
Armenia in order to convince him to open a railroad "for herself"
[Armenia]. This way Moscow would ensure railway communication with
Armenia. But Georgia bluntly refused: Vashadze stated that it's not
Armenia that needs the railway, but Russia for its military base in
Gyumri. And Georgia isn't planning on settling relations with its
former region of Abkhazia, which it views as occupied by Russia.
Another railway project is outlined from the West. The USA is actively
lobbying for the recovery of the Kars-Gyumri section, which would
allow connecting Armenia with Turkish ports. Directors of Turkish
Trabzon port said that if the railway from Armenia to Turkey opened,
Trazbon would be ready to accept Armenian cargo.
Before then US Ambassador in Armenia John Heffern voiced an idea,
that rather than opening the entire Armenian-Turkish border, it would
suffice to de-block the railroad. Moreover, the USA and other powers
do not support laying a Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway bypassing Armenia.
Transportation, maritime affairs and communications minister
Binali Yildirim even called to "hold a large-scale international
conference on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project aimed at its
international recognition". This suggests that the project hasn't been
internationally recognized yet, and the Western powers are lobbying
for the recovery of the Gyumri-Kars existing branch.
The outcome is hard to predict, so is whether Armenia would have
a chance of an independent choice or it would be forced to make a
decision in accordance with the result of the "clash of titans".
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
By Naira Hayrumyan
ArmeniaNow
19.07.12 | 15:30
Armenia might become a key country for communication and other
projects to be implemented in the South Caucasus and over which the
USA, Russia and Iran are engaged in an implicit war.
Most active among them is Iran. An unprecedented number of Iranian
top-brass representatives visited Armenia during the past month,
among them Vice-President Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh, before him
minister of internal affairs, and other officials. Iran and Armenia
signed an agreement on opening a Peace Park on the shared border,
as well as a free trade zone and a market.
At the same time the long-discussed railway project was on the
table, too, however, judging from official information, there are no
agreements on communications yet.
During the past month high-ranking Russian officials, too, have paid
visits to the Armenian capital, in particular head of the Federation
Council Valentina Matvienko, who is believed to be a loyal member of
Putin's team. She made a number of important statements: first of
all, she called upon the Armenian parliament "to urgently consider
and ratify the agreement on CIS Free Trade Zone", and secondly, she
stated that "integration in the post-Soviet space doesn't contradict
European integration".
Almost simultaneously and quite suddenly Georgian foreign minister
Grigol Vashadze arrived in Yerevan, but refused to communicate with
the press. Instead, in an interview to Echo of Moscow radio station
he in fact revealed Georgia's refusal to open a railway communication
with Russia through Abkhazia.
There is news that Moscow has asked Yerevan to invite Vashadze to
Armenia in order to convince him to open a railroad "for herself"
[Armenia]. This way Moscow would ensure railway communication with
Armenia. But Georgia bluntly refused: Vashadze stated that it's not
Armenia that needs the railway, but Russia for its military base in
Gyumri. And Georgia isn't planning on settling relations with its
former region of Abkhazia, which it views as occupied by Russia.
Another railway project is outlined from the West. The USA is actively
lobbying for the recovery of the Kars-Gyumri section, which would
allow connecting Armenia with Turkish ports. Directors of Turkish
Trabzon port said that if the railway from Armenia to Turkey opened,
Trazbon would be ready to accept Armenian cargo.
Before then US Ambassador in Armenia John Heffern voiced an idea,
that rather than opening the entire Armenian-Turkish border, it would
suffice to de-block the railroad. Moreover, the USA and other powers
do not support laying a Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway bypassing Armenia.
Transportation, maritime affairs and communications minister
Binali Yildirim even called to "hold a large-scale international
conference on Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project aimed at its
international recognition". This suggests that the project hasn't been
internationally recognized yet, and the Western powers are lobbying
for the recovery of the Gyumri-Kars existing branch.
The outcome is hard to predict, so is whether Armenia would have
a chance of an independent choice or it would be forced to make a
decision in accordance with the result of the "clash of titans".
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress