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NATO'S CHICAGO SUMMIT: WHY ARMENIA MISSED THE PARTY
by Giorgi Lomsadze
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65440
May 22 2012
NY
Azerbaijan made the trip to the May 20-21 Euro-Atlantic defense
pow-wow in Chicago, and Georgia all but rode a rocket there. But
Armenia stayed home.
And not because -- to borrow the dating excuse of an earlier generation
of Americans -- it needed to wash its hair.
Armenia is Russia's economic and military protege in the Caucasus,
and some Armenian wonks believe that President Serzh Sargsyan was a
no-show in Chicago as a courtesy move to the Kremlin.
But Yerevan says that the real turn-off for Sargsyan was
the gathering's reiteration of the alliance's commitment to the
territorial integrity of nations. In plain words and as far as Armenia
is concerned, this means it should let Azerbaijan take back Sargsyan's
native land of breakaway Nagorno Karabakh.
"We remain committed in our support of the territorial integrity,
independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and
Republic of Moldova," the 28-member bloc said. The declaration
does not mention the right of self-determination which Armenia
advocates in the Karabakh conflict resolution talks. The right
to self-determination and the right to territorial integrity --
contradictory though at times they may seem -- are both principles
that guide the internationally-mediated discussions.
"Apart from harming the Karabakh peace talks, this may pose a threat
to the precarious stability in the South Caucasus," Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian said in reference to the statement.
Baku, predictably, praised the declaration and chastised Yerevan.
Armenia's position toward the declaration is "non-constructive" and
misplaced, said Azerbaijani presidential spokesperson Elman Abdulayev.
For its part, Georgia, the main NATO enthusiast in the Caucasus,
did not get (at least publicly) any particular news about the fate
of its membership application.
As Georgia continues with its efforts to get into NATO shape, President
Mikheil Saakashvili said that at the next summit (penciled in for 2014)
"it will be just very hard to explain why Georgia does not get accepted
into NATO."
by Giorgi Lomsadze
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65440
May 22 2012
NY
Azerbaijan made the trip to the May 20-21 Euro-Atlantic defense
pow-wow in Chicago, and Georgia all but rode a rocket there. But
Armenia stayed home.
And not because -- to borrow the dating excuse of an earlier generation
of Americans -- it needed to wash its hair.
Armenia is Russia's economic and military protege in the Caucasus,
and some Armenian wonks believe that President Serzh Sargsyan was a
no-show in Chicago as a courtesy move to the Kremlin.
But Yerevan says that the real turn-off for Sargsyan was
the gathering's reiteration of the alliance's commitment to the
territorial integrity of nations. In plain words and as far as Armenia
is concerned, this means it should let Azerbaijan take back Sargsyan's
native land of breakaway Nagorno Karabakh.
"We remain committed in our support of the territorial integrity,
independence, and sovereignty of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and
Republic of Moldova," the 28-member bloc said. The declaration
does not mention the right of self-determination which Armenia
advocates in the Karabakh conflict resolution talks. The right
to self-determination and the right to territorial integrity --
contradictory though at times they may seem -- are both principles
that guide the internationally-mediated discussions.
"Apart from harming the Karabakh peace talks, this may pose a threat
to the precarious stability in the South Caucasus," Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian said in reference to the statement.
Baku, predictably, praised the declaration and chastised Yerevan.
Armenia's position toward the declaration is "non-constructive" and
misplaced, said Azerbaijani presidential spokesperson Elman Abdulayev.
For its part, Georgia, the main NATO enthusiast in the Caucasus,
did not get (at least publicly) any particular news about the fate
of its membership application.
As Georgia continues with its efforts to get into NATO shape, President
Mikheil Saakashvili said that at the next summit (penciled in for 2014)
"it will be just very hard to explain why Georgia does not get accepted
into NATO."