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DOES THE EURASIAN UNION HAVE A SEPARATIST PROBLEM?
EurasiaNet.org
June 5 2014
June 5, 2014 - 10:54am, by Giorgi Lomsadze
Perhaps the most prickly question about the Eurasian Union -- the new,
Russia-centric trade club -- is whether or not its members can bring
to this neo-Soviet party their significant others. In other words,
associated separatist dependencies.
Like with many Moscow clubs, there is face-control in the Eurasian
Union. For now, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have it all to
themselves. Disputed breakaway formations like Nagorno Karabakh,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, though, are also keen for inclusion.
But getting the separatist territories in would cause a wave of bad
blood between the Eurasian Union members and the countries (Azerbaijan
and Georgia, respectively) who demand these territories back. Leaving
them out, in turn, may hamper the territories' ability to get economic
sustenance from club-founder Russia and prospective member Armenia.
This is a pain in the neck, in particular, for Armenia, which already
has been requested by the club to leave its own protege, Nagorno
Karabakh, in the cloakroom.
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev last week quite curtly
told his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, that none of the
founding members have any desire to aggravate Azerbaijan. You only
get in "within the boundaries recognised by the United Nations,"
he advised at an Astana roundtable.
Sargsyan, a Karabakh native, later said that Armenia never intended
to slip the mountainous territory (which Yerevan essentially views
as a separate country) into the club.
It may have been a pragmatic response, but now Sargsyan faces criticism
both at home and in Karabakh. The Karabakhi separatist de-facto
authorities and Armenian Economy Minister Chshmaritian insist there
will not be any customs clearance between Armenia and Karabakh.
Some Armenians also pointed out that, quite unfairly, Russia is not
entering the club within its own, UN-recognized borders, so why should
they? Moscow's bringing along the recently annexed Crimean peninsula.
As yet, no official is saying publicly that this wrangle will cause a
delay in Armenia joining the club. The initiation date, however, has
again been pushed back; this time to July 1. And, after Nazarbayev's
remarks, the chief Armenian negotiator was let go -- for unclear
reasons, according to RFE/RL.
Meanwhile, Russia itself has the worry of what to do about its own
breakaway charges, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which now also want to
go clubbing with the Eurasian three. Belarus and, again, Kazakhstan,
which view Georgia as the de-jure owner of both territories, are
expected to put the kibosh on such notions, however.
In short, the Eurasian project is looking like a diplomatic
cluster-jam. Don't expect customs points to mark its borders without
quite a few carefully worded disclaimers.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/68441
EurasiaNet.org
June 5 2014
June 5, 2014 - 10:54am, by Giorgi Lomsadze
Perhaps the most prickly question about the Eurasian Union -- the new,
Russia-centric trade club -- is whether or not its members can bring
to this neo-Soviet party their significant others. In other words,
associated separatist dependencies.
Like with many Moscow clubs, there is face-control in the Eurasian
Union. For now, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have it all to
themselves. Disputed breakaway formations like Nagorno Karabakh,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, though, are also keen for inclusion.
But getting the separatist territories in would cause a wave of bad
blood between the Eurasian Union members and the countries (Azerbaijan
and Georgia, respectively) who demand these territories back. Leaving
them out, in turn, may hamper the territories' ability to get economic
sustenance from club-founder Russia and prospective member Armenia.
This is a pain in the neck, in particular, for Armenia, which already
has been requested by the club to leave its own protege, Nagorno
Karabakh, in the cloakroom.
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev last week quite curtly
told his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sargsyan, that none of the
founding members have any desire to aggravate Azerbaijan. You only
get in "within the boundaries recognised by the United Nations,"
he advised at an Astana roundtable.
Sargsyan, a Karabakh native, later said that Armenia never intended
to slip the mountainous territory (which Yerevan essentially views
as a separate country) into the club.
It may have been a pragmatic response, but now Sargsyan faces criticism
both at home and in Karabakh. The Karabakhi separatist de-facto
authorities and Armenian Economy Minister Chshmaritian insist there
will not be any customs clearance between Armenia and Karabakh.
Some Armenians also pointed out that, quite unfairly, Russia is not
entering the club within its own, UN-recognized borders, so why should
they? Moscow's bringing along the recently annexed Crimean peninsula.
As yet, no official is saying publicly that this wrangle will cause a
delay in Armenia joining the club. The initiation date, however, has
again been pushed back; this time to July 1. And, after Nazarbayev's
remarks, the chief Armenian negotiator was let go -- for unclear
reasons, according to RFE/RL.
Meanwhile, Russia itself has the worry of what to do about its own
breakaway charges, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which now also want to
go clubbing with the Eurasian three. Belarus and, again, Kazakhstan,
which view Georgia as the de-jure owner of both territories, are
expected to put the kibosh on such notions, however.
In short, the Eurasian project is looking like a diplomatic
cluster-jam. Don't expect customs points to mark its borders without
quite a few carefully worded disclaimers.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/68441