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Tbilisi divided over re-opening Russia-Armenia rail link
bne
January 18, 2013
A new dispute has broken out between Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili over the proposed
re-opening of a rail link from Russia to Armenia via Georgia.
At a press conference in Yerevan on January 17, Ivanishvili proposed
re-opening the railway, which has been closed since the August 2008
war between Russia and Georgia.
However, Saakhasvili responded with a statement that claimed reopening
the railway would be "criminal, anti-state, [and] anti-Georgian,'
Civil.ge reports. Saakashvili added that when the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway is completed, giving Georgian an alternative route to Europe,
there will be no need for the link to Russia.
The issue is further complicated by the fact that the railway runs
through the separatist republic of Abkhazia, which has been recognised
as independent by Russia plus a handful of other countries since the
war. Ivanishvili partially acknowledged the problem with that facet of
the plan at his press conference, referring to "uneasy relations with
our Abkhaz brothers".
By way of contrast with the reaction at home, Ivanishvili's proposal
was welcomed in Yerevan, where Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
expressed support for the plan, which will restore Armenia's direct
rail link to Russia, its largest trading partner.
Yerevan's hostile relations with neighbouring Azerbaijan and Turkey,
on top of the international sanctions against Iran, mean that
Armenia's main link to the outside world is through Georgia. "We
discussed this in out meeting. Armenia is interested in settlement of
the issue," Sargsyan said following a meeting with Ivanishvili,
News.am reported.
However, Russia's position on the issue is unclear. "You know that
there are no problems in relationships between Georgia and Armenia,"
Ivanishvili told journalists. "But we have huge problems in
relationship with Russia. The problems were huge and they
unfortunately still remain. We [are trying] to restore and mend ties
with Russia. The profound and most problematic issue is about
Georgia's territorial integrity."
http://www.bne.eu/story4428/Tbilisi_divided_over_reopening_RussiaArmenia_rail_ link
From: A. Papazian
bne
January 18, 2013
A new dispute has broken out between Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili over the proposed
re-opening of a rail link from Russia to Armenia via Georgia.
At a press conference in Yerevan on January 17, Ivanishvili proposed
re-opening the railway, which has been closed since the August 2008
war between Russia and Georgia.
However, Saakhasvili responded with a statement that claimed reopening
the railway would be "criminal, anti-state, [and] anti-Georgian,'
Civil.ge reports. Saakashvili added that when the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway is completed, giving Georgian an alternative route to Europe,
there will be no need for the link to Russia.
The issue is further complicated by the fact that the railway runs
through the separatist republic of Abkhazia, which has been recognised
as independent by Russia plus a handful of other countries since the
war. Ivanishvili partially acknowledged the problem with that facet of
the plan at his press conference, referring to "uneasy relations with
our Abkhaz brothers".
By way of contrast with the reaction at home, Ivanishvili's proposal
was welcomed in Yerevan, where Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
expressed support for the plan, which will restore Armenia's direct
rail link to Russia, its largest trading partner.
Yerevan's hostile relations with neighbouring Azerbaijan and Turkey,
on top of the international sanctions against Iran, mean that
Armenia's main link to the outside world is through Georgia. "We
discussed this in out meeting. Armenia is interested in settlement of
the issue," Sargsyan said following a meeting with Ivanishvili,
News.am reported.
However, Russia's position on the issue is unclear. "You know that
there are no problems in relationships between Georgia and Armenia,"
Ivanishvili told journalists. "But we have huge problems in
relationship with Russia. The problems were huge and they
unfortunately still remain. We [are trying] to restore and mend ties
with Russia. The profound and most problematic issue is about
Georgia's territorial integrity."
http://www.bne.eu/story4428/Tbilisi_divided_over_reopening_RussiaArmenia_rail_ link
From: A. Papazian