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ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER AS DEMARCATION LINE BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN UNION AND CUSTOMS UNION
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1332: armenian-georgian-border-as-demarcation-line-between-the-european-union-and-customs-union&catid=5:politics&Itemid=17
Friday, 17 January 2014 11:51
Predictions about the possible geopolitical changes in the Middle
East andSouth Caucasus were made still in the first half of 2013,
the axis of which was mainly the Syrian crisis and the so-called
thaw in the Iranian-American relations. The arrangement between the
USA and Russia on the Syrian chemical weapon couldn't but have its
impact on the political processes in the noted regions.
The achieved arrangement was a message to, first of all, Turkey,
the far-reaching goals of which both in the Middle East and South
Caucasus are quite obvious.
Special interest in the political developments in the South Caucasus
region is caused by the Russian-Georgian relations.
There is no turning point in the current relations between the
two countries, but they have been improved in holding a political
dialogue, which is conditioned by dismissing former president Michael
Saakashvili. The current stage of the Russian-Georgian relations is
described the best by the present level of trade and economic relations
and their development trends. According to the News-Georgia website,
for 11 months of 2013, the circulation of commodity turnover between
Georgia and Russiaincreased by 43%, amounting to $680 million and the
export of commodity from Georgia toRussia in the noted period made
over $161 million. In this context, the Russin Federation yields to
Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. According to Georgian President
Georgy Margvelashvili, the considerable progress in the economic
sphere creates a positive background for discussing political issues.
The president expressed his confidence that the Georgian authorities
had chosen the right policy for the relations with Russia. "I think
our current policy is on a true track", he said.
The Georgian President was continued by RF President Vladimir Putin -
according to him, the visa regime between Russia and Georgia should
be reconsidered and the issue should be discussed at an expert
level. The leaders of the two states seem to be interested in raising
the inter-state relations to a certain level.
The issue of possible reopening of the Abkhazian railway is discussed
in the context of the Russian-Georgian relations, the resolution of
which will mean fail of some expansionist plans of Turkey. It will
make review the strategy of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral
alliance. Let's remind that the issue of the Abkhazian railway was
discussed at the last year meeting of RA President Serzh Sargsyan with
RF President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The Armenian leader stressed
the significance of the railway, noting that he expected positive
shifts in that sphere. Reopening of the railway will greatly benefit
Armenia's economy and not only it.
According to him, currently about $190 is spent for transporting one
ton of cargo from Moscow to Yerevan, which is quite a lot of money.
The problems in the relations between Russia and Georgia are the
Abkhazia andSouth Ossetia conflicts. Former Prime Minister of Georgia
Bidzina Ivanishvili expressed his viewpoint on this in late December,
noting that the territories had been separated fromGeorgia with the
support of Russia. Yet, Ivanishvili called hopeful Vladimir Putin's
public speech, in which he noted that peoples should themselves
determine their relations andRussia wouldn't interfere with this. And
though Georgia's President Margvelashvili once again reminded of the
territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders,
however, he spoke for the discussion of issues of mutual interest.
The Armenian-Georgian relations couldn't be dropped from the context
of theSouth Caucasus developments. In this regard, we should
note the conference titled 'The Prospects of Armenian-Georgian
Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation', which took place in mid-December,
2013, in Lory district's Alaverdi town and the first issue of the
agenda of which was reopening the Abkhazian railway. Another important
issue related to the economic zones around the RA and Georgia, which
followed Armenian's steps on joining the Customs Union and Georgia's
signing the Association Agreement with the European Union. RA and
Georgian Parliaments Speakers Hovik Abrahamian and Davit Usupashvili
were present at the opening of the conference. According to the
Armenian mass media, the sides admitted that for the last eight or nine
years, no meetings had taken place between the Armenian and Georgian
MPs. Both the Armenian and Georgian MPs explained the situation with
the fact that the foreign policy of these states had differed from
each other in the noted period.
The current situation became the keynote issue of discussions -
the Armenian-Georgian border will be further considered as a border
between the European Association and Customs Union states.
As is known, Georgia signed preliminarily the Association Agreement
with the European Union at the Vilnius Summit. In this context,
as the conference participants noted, overcoming the inevitable
obstacles at two different platforms becomes urgent, which requires
great readiness by both parties. And these problems are connected with
transport, commodity turnover, economic, and other processes. The RA
NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations stressed the importance
of the parties' readiness to develop the relations. The conference
participants also noted that within the international format the
Armenian and Georgian MPs should be able to take, at least, neutral
positions in the opposite dimensions.
Thus, the improvement of the Armenian-Georgian and Russian-Georgian
relations in the conditions of widening the Customs Union is
gaining new sounding. Armenia has certain expectations from the
Customs Union, which can be realized under favorable developments
in the region. Surely, time will show how realizable the three
parties' leaders' assurances are. But, one thing is clear - The
Armenia-Georgia-Russia economic cooperation and especially the
Russia-Georgia political dialogue will contribute to maintaining
stability and security in the South Caucasus.
Ruzan ISHKHANIAN
From: Baghdasarian
http://artsakhtert.com/eng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1332: armenian-georgian-border-as-demarcation-line-between-the-european-union-and-customs-union&catid=5:politics&Itemid=17
Friday, 17 January 2014 11:51
Predictions about the possible geopolitical changes in the Middle
East andSouth Caucasus were made still in the first half of 2013,
the axis of which was mainly the Syrian crisis and the so-called
thaw in the Iranian-American relations. The arrangement between the
USA and Russia on the Syrian chemical weapon couldn't but have its
impact on the political processes in the noted regions.
The achieved arrangement was a message to, first of all, Turkey,
the far-reaching goals of which both in the Middle East and South
Caucasus are quite obvious.
Special interest in the political developments in the South Caucasus
region is caused by the Russian-Georgian relations.
There is no turning point in the current relations between the
two countries, but they have been improved in holding a political
dialogue, which is conditioned by dismissing former president Michael
Saakashvili. The current stage of the Russian-Georgian relations is
described the best by the present level of trade and economic relations
and their development trends. According to the News-Georgia website,
for 11 months of 2013, the circulation of commodity turnover between
Georgia and Russiaincreased by 43%, amounting to $680 million and the
export of commodity from Georgia toRussia in the noted period made
over $161 million. In this context, the Russin Federation yields to
Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Ukraine. According to Georgian President
Georgy Margvelashvili, the considerable progress in the economic
sphere creates a positive background for discussing political issues.
The president expressed his confidence that the Georgian authorities
had chosen the right policy for the relations with Russia. "I think
our current policy is on a true track", he said.
The Georgian President was continued by RF President Vladimir Putin -
according to him, the visa regime between Russia and Georgia should
be reconsidered and the issue should be discussed at an expert
level. The leaders of the two states seem to be interested in raising
the inter-state relations to a certain level.
The issue of possible reopening of the Abkhazian railway is discussed
in the context of the Russian-Georgian relations, the resolution of
which will mean fail of some expansionist plans of Turkey. It will
make review the strategy of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey trilateral
alliance. Let's remind that the issue of the Abkhazian railway was
discussed at the last year meeting of RA President Serzh Sargsyan with
RF President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The Armenian leader stressed
the significance of the railway, noting that he expected positive
shifts in that sphere. Reopening of the railway will greatly benefit
Armenia's economy and not only it.
According to him, currently about $190 is spent for transporting one
ton of cargo from Moscow to Yerevan, which is quite a lot of money.
The problems in the relations between Russia and Georgia are the
Abkhazia andSouth Ossetia conflicts. Former Prime Minister of Georgia
Bidzina Ivanishvili expressed his viewpoint on this in late December,
noting that the territories had been separated fromGeorgia with the
support of Russia. Yet, Ivanishvili called hopeful Vladimir Putin's
public speech, in which he noted that peoples should themselves
determine their relations andRussia wouldn't interfere with this. And
though Georgia's President Margvelashvili once again reminded of the
territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders,
however, he spoke for the discussion of issues of mutual interest.
The Armenian-Georgian relations couldn't be dropped from the context
of theSouth Caucasus developments. In this regard, we should
note the conference titled 'The Prospects of Armenian-Georgian
Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation', which took place in mid-December,
2013, in Lory district's Alaverdi town and the first issue of the
agenda of which was reopening the Abkhazian railway. Another important
issue related to the economic zones around the RA and Georgia, which
followed Armenian's steps on joining the Customs Union and Georgia's
signing the Association Agreement with the European Union. RA and
Georgian Parliaments Speakers Hovik Abrahamian and Davit Usupashvili
were present at the opening of the conference. According to the
Armenian mass media, the sides admitted that for the last eight or nine
years, no meetings had taken place between the Armenian and Georgian
MPs. Both the Armenian and Georgian MPs explained the situation with
the fact that the foreign policy of these states had differed from
each other in the noted period.
The current situation became the keynote issue of discussions -
the Armenian-Georgian border will be further considered as a border
between the European Association and Customs Union states.
As is known, Georgia signed preliminarily the Association Agreement
with the European Union at the Vilnius Summit. In this context,
as the conference participants noted, overcoming the inevitable
obstacles at two different platforms becomes urgent, which requires
great readiness by both parties. And these problems are connected with
transport, commodity turnover, economic, and other processes. The RA
NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations stressed the importance
of the parties' readiness to develop the relations. The conference
participants also noted that within the international format the
Armenian and Georgian MPs should be able to take, at least, neutral
positions in the opposite dimensions.
Thus, the improvement of the Armenian-Georgian and Russian-Georgian
relations in the conditions of widening the Customs Union is
gaining new sounding. Armenia has certain expectations from the
Customs Union, which can be realized under favorable developments
in the region. Surely, time will show how realizable the three
parties' leaders' assurances are. But, one thing is clear - The
Armenia-Georgia-Russia economic cooperation and especially the
Russia-Georgia political dialogue will contribute to maintaining
stability and security in the South Caucasus.
Ruzan ISHKHANIAN
From: Baghdasarian