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Armenian-Georgian Lines of Demarcation: The First Swallows
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments - 22 July 2014, 17:00
According to a new law, Georgia will apply a long-stay visa
requirement for Armenia. The Georgia MFA has informed Regnum Agency
that the visa requirement will not apply to Armenian citizens visiting
Georgia for tourism. Visa will be required for travelling to Georgia
for long stays, such as business or study.
It is obvious, that at first sight this technical issue is a deep
complication for the Armenian-Georgian relations. Meanwhile, the
interests of Armenia require a maximum facilitated visa procedure with
Georgia, especially given the circumstance of Javakhk.
Instead, official Tbilisi is taking a step that is actually a line of
demarcation between Armenia and Georgia. What did Serzh Sargsyan mean
when he told Georgian businessmen in Georgia on June 18 that Armenia
will be a good platform for them to access the Customs Union market,
and accordingly Georgia would be a good platform for Armenian
businessmen to access the European market?
A good platform is normally cleared of barriers, not vice versa, even
if they are technical ones. Is it possible to tell that in reality
only lines of demarcation are developing dynamically?
>From this point of view, it is notable that the information on the
visa requirement follows the tough response of the Georgian Armenian
Diocese, as well as Armenia and Javakheti regarding the clash at the
Armenian church in Tbilisi. Is this a coincidence or is Tbilisi
announcing about the visa requirement to demonstrate that it will take
tough steps in response to attempts to give an ethnic-religious
coloring to the incident?
At the same time, the visa update from Georgia comes along with the
statements by the Iranian ambassador to Armenia by way of which Iran
calls the Armenian government to conduct an autonomous regional
policy.
The absence of this causes problems with Iran and Georgia, even if
Armenia does not need those problems at all. The point is that without
an autonomous policy Armenia becomes a serious problem for the region
and those regional players who can act as a partner to Armenia have to
take steps to defend themselves from the possible consequences of lack
of autonomy of Armenia.
It will not be a surprise if it becomes known one day that Iran is
going to apply a visa requirement for Armenian nationals. It may seem
improbable, even absurd but isn't it absurd when two decades after the
collapse of the USSR Armenia and Georgia achieve a visa requirement
instead of a new level of mutual openness?
These lines of demarcation around Armenia will gradually become more
obvious as long as Armenia discards its regional interests and
security. In addition, the association of Georgia with the European
Union and the association of Armenia with the Eurasian Union do not
matter much. After all, Iran is not going to associate with the
European Union but it is obvious that Armenia with its inert attitude
and lack of an autonomous policy is irritating Iran as well.
- See more at: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/32757#sthash.dxaV40Eh.dpuf
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
Comments - 22 July 2014, 17:00
According to a new law, Georgia will apply a long-stay visa
requirement for Armenia. The Georgia MFA has informed Regnum Agency
that the visa requirement will not apply to Armenian citizens visiting
Georgia for tourism. Visa will be required for travelling to Georgia
for long stays, such as business or study.
It is obvious, that at first sight this technical issue is a deep
complication for the Armenian-Georgian relations. Meanwhile, the
interests of Armenia require a maximum facilitated visa procedure with
Georgia, especially given the circumstance of Javakhk.
Instead, official Tbilisi is taking a step that is actually a line of
demarcation between Armenia and Georgia. What did Serzh Sargsyan mean
when he told Georgian businessmen in Georgia on June 18 that Armenia
will be a good platform for them to access the Customs Union market,
and accordingly Georgia would be a good platform for Armenian
businessmen to access the European market?
A good platform is normally cleared of barriers, not vice versa, even
if they are technical ones. Is it possible to tell that in reality
only lines of demarcation are developing dynamically?
>From this point of view, it is notable that the information on the
visa requirement follows the tough response of the Georgian Armenian
Diocese, as well as Armenia and Javakheti regarding the clash at the
Armenian church in Tbilisi. Is this a coincidence or is Tbilisi
announcing about the visa requirement to demonstrate that it will take
tough steps in response to attempts to give an ethnic-religious
coloring to the incident?
At the same time, the visa update from Georgia comes along with the
statements by the Iranian ambassador to Armenia by way of which Iran
calls the Armenian government to conduct an autonomous regional
policy.
The absence of this causes problems with Iran and Georgia, even if
Armenia does not need those problems at all. The point is that without
an autonomous policy Armenia becomes a serious problem for the region
and those regional players who can act as a partner to Armenia have to
take steps to defend themselves from the possible consequences of lack
of autonomy of Armenia.
It will not be a surprise if it becomes known one day that Iran is
going to apply a visa requirement for Armenian nationals. It may seem
improbable, even absurd but isn't it absurd when two decades after the
collapse of the USSR Armenia and Georgia achieve a visa requirement
instead of a new level of mutual openness?
These lines of demarcation around Armenia will gradually become more
obvious as long as Armenia discards its regional interests and
security. In addition, the association of Georgia with the European
Union and the association of Armenia with the Eurasian Union do not
matter much. After all, Iran is not going to associate with the
European Union but it is obvious that Armenia with its inert attitude
and lack of an autonomous policy is irritating Iran as well.
- See more at: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/32757#sthash.dxaV40Eh.dpuf