Tweet
ANALYSIS: RUSSO-GEORGIAN RELATIONS SEEN AS KEY TO ARMENIA'S FUTURE IN EMERGING EURASIAN UNION
ANALYSIS | 19.11.14 | 10:13
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/58598/armenia_russia_relations_abkhazia_railway
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Relations between Russia and Armenia and the future of the South
Caucasus part of the Eurasian Union will depend primarily on the
relations between Russia and Georgia, and whether these two countries
manage to remove from the agenda the issues of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. On this depends the probability of re-operation of the
railway and new road links between Armenia and Russia.
In late October, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, speaking
about Russia, stated that Georgia "is being forced" into a sort of
empire or union. This was taken as a hint at the proposal from Russia
that Georgia should also join the Eurasian Union.
And judging by the October events in Georgia when the country's
defense minister was sacked and the ministers of foreign affairs and
European integration resigned themselves, the Georgian government,
indeed, was trying to slow down the Euro-Atlantic course and develop
relations with Russia.
However, the subsequent events suggest that Georgia, nevertheless,
decided not to deviate from its course to the European Union and NATO.
On November 17, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili tightened
anti-Russian rhetoric at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg as he stated that the Government of Georgia
"is ready to promptly and effectively implement a substantial package
of NATO-Georgia."
The elements of the NATO-Georgia package include the formation of a
joint training center in Georgia, in fact, a NATO base, which cannot
but anger Moscow. "We have decided that we will build a training
center and it will be formed, as Georgia is a sovereign state, and
NATO is an organization that works with a strong and loyal partner,
with Georgia," NATO's Secretary General said.
At the same time, the Georgian prime minister said that "what is
happening in Ukraine is a continuation of the Russo-Georgian war
of 2008". He also expressed regret and concern that "despite our
constructive approach, Russia continues its destructive policy against
Georgia in order to achieve the annexation of Abkhazia and possibly
the Tskhinvali region."
At present, Russia is trying to sign interstate treaties with the
breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (which in
Georgia is called the Tskhinvali region) and in accordance with these
treaties these regions will in fact become part of Russia. Georgia
categorically opposes it and it means that the issue of restarting
the Abkhazian railway, which will connect Armenia and Russia, is
still in doubt.
In an interview with the Caucasian Knot online paper, Abkhazia's
President Raul Khajimba said: "I think that this [the railway]
should be interesting for Abkhazia, Russia and Armenia. I cannot
say whether Georgia is ready to implement this project. But I am
more than sure that its Western backers are unlikely to want to,
at least at this stage. I am sure this is due to the geopolitical
processes in the region."
Khajimba also denied hints being made in Yerevan and Tbilisi recently
that Georgia, Armenia and Russia are in secret tripartite negotiations
over the re-opening of the railway communication through Abkhazia.
Experts say that it is possible that such negotiations were actually
conducted, but Tbilisi demanded a change of Moscow's policy towards
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moscow apparently continues its expansive
approach, and the Georgian government, even despite its pro-Russian
approach, at the moment cannot step over public opinion, which demands
a continued Euro-Atlantic course.
Meanwhile, it transpired earlier this week that Russian Railways OJSC
plans to build and electrify a railway from Iran to Azerbaijan and
further to Russia. The issue was also discussed during the visit
of Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin to Iran on
November 16-17.
From: Baghdasarian
ANALYSIS | 19.11.14 | 10:13
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/58598/armenia_russia_relations_abkhazia_railway
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
Relations between Russia and Armenia and the future of the South
Caucasus part of the Eurasian Union will depend primarily on the
relations between Russia and Georgia, and whether these two countries
manage to remove from the agenda the issues of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. On this depends the probability of re-operation of the
railway and new road links between Armenia and Russia.
In late October, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, speaking
about Russia, stated that Georgia "is being forced" into a sort of
empire or union. This was taken as a hint at the proposal from Russia
that Georgia should also join the Eurasian Union.
And judging by the October events in Georgia when the country's
defense minister was sacked and the ministers of foreign affairs and
European integration resigned themselves, the Georgian government,
indeed, was trying to slow down the Euro-Atlantic course and develop
relations with Russia.
However, the subsequent events suggest that Georgia, nevertheless,
decided not to deviate from its course to the European Union and NATO.
On November 17, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili tightened
anti-Russian rhetoric at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg as he stated that the Government of Georgia
"is ready to promptly and effectively implement a substantial package
of NATO-Georgia."
The elements of the NATO-Georgia package include the formation of a
joint training center in Georgia, in fact, a NATO base, which cannot
but anger Moscow. "We have decided that we will build a training
center and it will be formed, as Georgia is a sovereign state, and
NATO is an organization that works with a strong and loyal partner,
with Georgia," NATO's Secretary General said.
At the same time, the Georgian prime minister said that "what is
happening in Ukraine is a continuation of the Russo-Georgian war
of 2008". He also expressed regret and concern that "despite our
constructive approach, Russia continues its destructive policy against
Georgia in order to achieve the annexation of Abkhazia and possibly
the Tskhinvali region."
At present, Russia is trying to sign interstate treaties with the
breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (which in
Georgia is called the Tskhinvali region) and in accordance with these
treaties these regions will in fact become part of Russia. Georgia
categorically opposes it and it means that the issue of restarting
the Abkhazian railway, which will connect Armenia and Russia, is
still in doubt.
In an interview with the Caucasian Knot online paper, Abkhazia's
President Raul Khajimba said: "I think that this [the railway]
should be interesting for Abkhazia, Russia and Armenia. I cannot
say whether Georgia is ready to implement this project. But I am
more than sure that its Western backers are unlikely to want to,
at least at this stage. I am sure this is due to the geopolitical
processes in the region."
Khajimba also denied hints being made in Yerevan and Tbilisi recently
that Georgia, Armenia and Russia are in secret tripartite negotiations
over the re-opening of the railway communication through Abkhazia.
Experts say that it is possible that such negotiations were actually
conducted, but Tbilisi demanded a change of Moscow's policy towards
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moscow apparently continues its expansive
approach, and the Georgian government, even despite its pro-Russian
approach, at the moment cannot step over public opinion, which demands
a continued Euro-Atlantic course.
Meanwhile, it transpired earlier this week that Russian Railways OJSC
plans to build and electrify a railway from Iran to Azerbaijan and
further to Russia. The issue was also discussed during the visit
of Speaker of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin to Iran on
November 16-17.
From: Baghdasarian