The Struggle for Caucasia

[crusader1492]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

AZERBAIJAN HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL INTERESTS AND LEGAL REGULATIONS

President of Azerbaijan stated that the country’s territorial integrity is not an issue to be discussed within the Nagorno Karabakh negotiations agenda. According to Interfax news agency, Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan is going to settle the "based on Azerbaijan’s national interests and international legal regulations."

This frequent statement of the Azeri leader leave an impression of self-persuasion at best, as it would be simply strange to take steps contradicting national interests and international legal regulations. The fact that Aliyev repeatedly speaks of Azerbaijan’s priority – international legal regulations – evidences perhaps that his war language has exhausted itself even for domestic consumption.

By Aghavni Harutyunian

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Perhaps Aliyev is seeing the light. Anyway, with that said, I looks unlikely that there will be a continuation of the war.

[crusader1492]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

WILL USA RECOGNIZE THE INDEPENDENCE OF NKR?04:44 pm 24 March, 2006

“There are three sides which affect the regulation of the Karabakh conflict – USA, Russia and EU. The quick settlement of ethnic conflicts in Southern Caucasus is not very profitable for USA as because of them USA remains in the region, and thus Washington reaches its different aims”, politician Igor Mouradyan said during the conference “Models of Stability of Black Sea – Caucasian Region” in Sochi.

According to him, USA has adopted a policy of recognizing the independence of NKR. Contrary to that, EU is against the creation of new Republics in Southern Caucasus, and Russia “has no other option as to protect the European point of view”.

According to Regnum, Azeri delegates were also invited to Sochi but on learning that representatives of NKR will participate in the conference, they refused to come.

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

Allied Relations with Russia Vitally Important for Armenia

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia, in the person of the reasonable part of its leadership, is trying to maintain its presence and influence in the Caucasus. It’s important for Russia to prevent destabilization in the North Caucasus, deployment of NATO military bases and projection of military force inland, first vice-president of the Academy of Geopolitical Studies, Colonel General Leonid Ivashov stated in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

In his words, Armenia is Russia’s monument point in the South Caucasus. “At the same time it’s vitally important for Armenia to have allied relations with Russia. If Armenia relies on promises made by the West it will lose its state system and independence,” Ivashov said. He remarked that Armenia has the right to establish relations with whom it wishes. “But if it conflicts with Russia’s interests it can transform cooperation into the level of mutually beneficial relations without any political or economic preferences. However such situation will conflict with Armenia’s national interests and result in the isolation of the republic and even in its collapse,” the Russian scientist said.

Leonid Ivashov reminded that numerous Armenian Diaspora lives in Russia. “I think it could make a great contribution to the development of the Russian-Armenian allied relations,” he noted.

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

CHINA, ARMENIA TO BOOST EXCHANGES BETWEEN ARMED FORCES

People's Daily Online, China
April 6 2006

Senior generals of Chinese and Armenian armed forces agreed on Thursday
to promote military exchanges.

"The Chinese armed forces value friendly ties with their Armenian
counterparts and there exists potential for cooperation in various
fields," Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Caihou
said at a meeting with visiting Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Y.
Xachatulov.

Xu said China-Armenia relations have progressed smoothly since the
two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992.

"We would like to make concerted efforts with the Armenian side to
continuously promote the existing friendly relations and cooperation
between the armed forces on the basis of equality, mutual trust,
benefit and respect," Xu said.

Y. Xachatulov, who arrived on Monday for a goodwill visit, said the
Armenian side holds a positive attitude on developing ties with Chinese
military and would like to boost the cooperation in various fields.

http://groong.usc.edu/news/msg143626.html

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

“The US is concerned over Russia’s growing presence in the South Caucasus”:

The country that tries to solve the Karabakh problem by force will be expelled from the Council of Europe, Azeri Press reports PACE President Rene van der Linden as saying. Van der Linden does not consider the CE membership possible for the country that would use armed force to resolve the conflict, if a new war breaks out in Nagorno Karabakh. In this case PACE will have to discuss the possibility of that country’s further membership in the CE. Van der Linden urges the parties to the Karabakh conflict to stop their bellicose statements and to realize that the conflict can be resolved only by peaceful measures. Van der Linden also says that if Azerbaijan holds non-democratic elections, the mandate of its PACE delegation will be reviewed.

In his turn, head of the public and political department of the Azeri president staff Ali Gasanov says: “If they in the Council of Europe want to freeze the powers of our delegation, let them do that. But nobody has the right to threaten us.” “Azerbaijan is an independent state and has its own state interests. And nobody, including PACE President Rene van der Linden, has the right to threaten us,” says Gasanov. (Echo)

The two radar stations built in Azerbaijan with the US’ support are intended for strengthening the frontier control, Trend reports Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov as saying in Washington. He says that “those stations are part of our program to protect Azerbaijan’s state frontier.” Mamedyarov explains that the problem of frontier control arose after the collapse of the Soviet Union. “Now we are an independent state and must do it by ourselves, particularly, protect our sector of the Caspian Sea. And here we certainly cooperate with the US.” Mamedyarov confirms that in the framework of this cooperation Washington provides Baku with special equipment.

“All this equipment will go into Azerbaijan’s property.” He notes that the project to build radar stations has no direct relation to the security of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the energy projects in the republic. “We do cooperate to ensure the security of the BTC, we have several programs. But they are parts of the general measures to fight terrorism and to protect oil platforms, as most of our oil comes from the sea. We are interested in the US’ experience, and the Americans share it with us,” says Mamedyarov. He says that the Azeri-US military cooperation is “quite good in principle.” “The US helps us to reform our army so that we can face the present risks and challenges in the region.” “In this context our cooperation is quite active,” says Mamedyarov.

The US is concerned over Russia’s growing presence in the South Caucasus, US congressman, chairman of the sub-committee on foreign assignments Jim Kolbe said at a news conference in Baku on April 13. One of the first questions was about Section 907 (Adopted in Oct 1992 and cancelled by the Senate in 2001, Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act forbade the US government to provide direct assistance to Azerbaijan because of that country’s blockading Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh — REGNUM).

The author of the question called Kolbe the architect of the section. Kolbe said right away that he is not. He said that now that the Karabakh agreement is not far off, one can well take time with the full abrogation of the section. But the next moment he said that after the peace agreement the US Congress may provide financial assistance for the recovery of the territories devastated by the conflict, says Zerkalo.

Link: http://www.regnum.ru/english/cultura/625801.html

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan - Armenian minister

STEPANAKERT. April 28 (Interfax) - Nagorno-Karabakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan, said Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.

"I don't know what status the Nagorno-Karabakh republic will have, but I know for sure what it will not be, namely, Nagorno-Karabakh will never be within Azerbaijan. This is absolutely impossible," Oskanian said speaking at the Nagorno-Karabakh State University in Stepanakert.

Oskanian is on a working visit to Stepanakert to hold consultations with the leadership of the self-proclaimed republic.

Link: http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/...issue=11507185

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

KARABAKH CONFLICT HANGS OVER GEORGIA'S ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGIONS

By Zaal Anjaparidze

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Tensions are running high in Tsalka and Akhalkalaki, two regions of Georgia that are predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians.

The latest problem began in Tsalka on March 9, when a trivial brawl at a restaurant between local Armenians and Georgians resulted in the death of Gevork Gevorkian, a 24-year-old Armenian, and injuries to four other Armenians. However, Maria Mikoyan of the Armenian Union in Georgia (Nor Serund) claimed that the fight began because the Georgian young men were irritated by the Armenian music playing in the restaurant.

Although police have arrested five Georgian suspects, about 500 Armenian protesters gathered outside the Tsalka administrative building on March 10, calling for prosecution of the suspects. On March 11, the upheaval spread to Akhalkalaki, a town in the predominately Armenian populated Samtskhe-Javakheti region in southern Georgia.

About 300 participants in the Akhalkalaki rally were Tsalka Armenians. They later took their appeal to the Georgian government and demanded that Tbilisi "stop the policy of pressure by fueling interethnic tensions" and "stop the settlement of other nationalities in Armenian-populated regions." Later, the protesters voiced demands related to the right to conduct court proceedings and government business in the Armenian language. Specifically, they want the central government to make the Armenian language a state language equal to Georgian in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Reiterating the alleged threat to the rights of Armenians in Georgia, the appeal also demanded political autonomy for the region.

The rally soon turned violent. The protesters, mostly youth, left the government building and raided a local court chamber, ousting a Georgian judge. They also attacked a building on Tbilisi State University's Akhalkalaki campus and a local Georgian Orthodox Church. Later on Khachatur Stepanian, a representative of the council of Armenian civic groups in Samtskhe-Javakheti, which organized the rally, attempted to soften the anxiety and called the incident a "provocation" staged by "someone else."

On March 11, leaders of the public movement Multiethnic Georgia and the Armenian Union in Georgia complained that police had brutally dispersed the rally in Tsalka where "ethnic confrontation is increasingly becoming a reason behind crimes." They said that if tension in Tsalka and Samtskhe-Javakheti continues, then Tbilisi would be forced to establish direct presidential rule there.

Although Georgian Public Defender Sozar Subari investigated the Tsalka incident and ruled it to be a "communal crime," the majority of the Armenian communities in these regions consider the incident to be a demonstration of ethnic hatred towards Armenians, which they believe is the result of the Georgian government's misguided policies towards ethnic minorities. They further alleged that Georgian law-enforcement agents were working in tandem with those who committed the crime.

United Javakh, a radical Armenian organization in Samtskhe-Javakheti, issued a statement accusing Tbilisi of "discriminatory policies" against "the Armenian population of Javakh," the Armenian nomenclature for the region. They described the recent dismissal of the region's ethnic Armenian judges for ignorance of the Georgian language as "cynically xxxxxling on the rights of the Armenian-populated region." Georgian authorities insist the judges were dismissed for misconduct.

The United Javakh statement warned about "destructive trends in the Georgian government's policy" aimed at artificially creating a "climate of ethnic intolerance" and "crushing the will of Javakh's Armenian population to protect its right to live in its motherland." Finally the statement demands that Tbilisi show "political prudence" and put an end to the "infringement" of the Armenian community's rights.

The content and tone of this and previous statements by United Javakh and other radical Armenian organizations reportedly have strong backing from political forces in Armenia. In fact, the statements recall the language used by the Armenian community in Karabakh in its relations with the Azerbaijani government before war erupted. Vardan Akopian, chair of the Javakh Youth organization, argued, "The current situation in Javakheti is a cross between situations in Nakhichevan and Karabakh." Several protestors explicitly cited the Karabakh precedent.

Symptomatically, on October 8, 2005, Garnik Isagulyan, the Armenian president's national security advisor, bluntly warned Tbilisi to be "extremely cautious" with regard to Samtskhe-Javakheti "because any minor provocation can turn into a large-scale clash" (EDM, October 12, 2005). Various Armenian political parties, officials, and media have actively discussed the problems of the Armenian community in Samtskhe-Javakheti. Some Armenian members of the Georgian parliament linked this activity with the approaching parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Recently Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian released a paper on security issues in which he expressed concern over the situation in Samtskhe-Javakheti. The excessively critical tone of the Armenian minister towards Tbilisi's policy in Samtskhe-Javakheti reportedly alarmed Georgian politicians and analysts, but they preferred to stay tight-lipped, perhaps to avoid upsetting the already-complex Georgian-Armenian relationship (EDM, August 3, June 7, May 24, March 23, 2005). Russia has tried to capitalize on the problem by fueling tensions in Akhalkalaki, location of a Russian military base slated for closure.

Although the Georgian government is continuously downplaying the ethnic aspects of the disturbances in Armenian-populated regions, this factor appears to lurk beneath the surface. Georgia remains Armenia's sole transport route to Russia and Europe due to the ongoing blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan. Thus an unstable Samtskhe-Javakheti would hardly be a gain for Yerevan. However, the "Karabakh syndrome" should not be removed from the agenda.

(Resonance, March 9, 11; Akhali Taoba, Civil Georgia, Rustavi-2, Regnum, vesti.ru, March 11; Imedi-TV, March 10, 11)

Link: http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2370870

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

Second front for Armenia to become fourth one for Georgia

“Claim for autonomy for the Armenian-populated Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti is an approach by the local population. There is no political implication, all the problems are of social nature,” Head of the Armenian Republican Faction Galust Saakyan has said on March 14. According to him, all the regional problems should be settled on the basis of Armenian-Georgian talks. By the way, Galust Saakyan disagreed with Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze, who had said that “in Akhalkalaki District of Georgia there some forces that try to increase tension between the Armenian and Georgian population.”

In his turn, Head of the National Revival Party Albert Bazeyan announced that the Armenian authorities should try to influence the processes at the top level to escape more aggravation of tension: “we do not need another unfriendly neighbor.” “Apart from the social issues of the Armenian population of Javakh mentioned above, there is a series of political problems, issues concerning preservation of the national originality. I think, the question of granting the status of cultural autonomy to this region should be discussed,” said Bazeyan.

Meanwhile, as a REGNUM correspondent reports, representatives of Javakh Union at a meeting with the press spoke for holding a referendum in Javakheti, “that will make it clear what the Javakheti people want: either living in Georgia, Armenia, Russia or another state, or gaining independence.” Answering the question, whether the escalation of tension in Javakheti contains a treat that Armenia would obtain the second front taking into consideration the unsettled Karabakh issue, members of the council said: “Why should we be afraid of the second front? If we have a second front, by Georgia it will be the fourth one.”

The Javakh Council also adopted a statement addressed to the Armenian and Georgian authorities.

The statement says that “the Javakh Council has repeatedly appealed to the Armenian authorities to pay appropriate attention to the problems of Javakh Armenians and to acknowledge the political element in these problems,” but “the appeals remained unanswered.” As the statement runs further, the Georgian party “was inspired by the total indifference of the Armenian authorities,” which made the former to be “more unruly.”

The authors of the statement do not rule out that “third parties, in particular, Azerbaijan and Turkey, would participate in kindling anti-Armenian activities.” The council puts responsibility for all incidents to the Georgian government and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The council condemned anti-Armenian activities and demonstration of national discrimination, expressed its support for Armenians in Javakheti and urged the Armenian government to call upon the Georgian government to condemn and punish instigators of the anti-Armenian activities.

It also called the Armenian authorities together with the Georgian party to work out an action plan towards justified settlement of all the problems of Javakh, including political ones.

The Javakh Council assured that it would its utmost to protect Armenians of Javakh and Georgia, to prevent from expelling Armenians from the region. It also promised “to make an appropriate counterstrike to anti-Armenian provocations.”

Link: http://www.regnum.ru/english/armenia/605829.html

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

Armenian SCUDs threaten Azeri oil sites

BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 13 (UPI) -- Since the collapse of communism in 1991, Azerbaijan has moved closer to NATO and the United States as its oil exports have soared.

Azerbaijan is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace affiliate program and has hopes of joining the alliance.

Austrian Eutema Technologie Management GmbH EMTECH project manager Martin Marek says that Azerbaijan's main adversary, Armenia, has deployed Soviet-era Scud-B ballistic missiles in the disputed Upper Karabakh region, which are capable of striking Baku's oil facilities.

On March 13, AssA-Irada news agency quoted Marek as saying, "The Scud-B missiles are aimed at oil fields, pipelines and refineries in Azerbaijan, which could bring about a disaster."

On Aug. 23, 1997, the xxxish Institute for National Security Affairs quoted Science Applications International Corp. Strategic Assessment Center analyst Glen E. Howard as saying that Russia had shipped Armenia as many as 32 Scud-B ballistic missiles and eight launchers as part of a Russian 1994-1996 arms deal worth $1 billion.

In May-June 1996, Armenian personnel were trained to operate Scud-Bs at Russia's Kapustin Yar firing range. Scud-Bs have a range of 200 miles.

Marek observed that Western investment in Azerbaijan reinforces the current "de-facto independent status of Upper Karabakh," and that "Baku is also aware that if the war resumes, these companies will freeze their investments in the country."

Link: http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism...3-013940-7556r

[Armenian]

Re: The Struggle for Caucasia

Georgian DM: “We are really in a state of war with Russia”

Nobody in the Georgian government takes seriously the Kavkazskiy Rubezh-2006 (Caucasian Line 2006) military exercise conducted by Russia near Georgian borders; Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili stated on air at Free Topic talk show of Rustavi-2 TV Channel, REGNUM correspondent reports. The minister recalled that “such maneuvers were conducted during Tskhinvali events in 2004, and nothing special occurred then, too.”

“Nobody believes that armed forces which are used during the maneuvers will be ever used by Russian government to occupy Georgia – if even such an attempt is made, it will be disastrous to them,” Okruashvili asserted, arguing that the Russian side needed such maneuvers in order “to consolidate Tskhinvali society and Abkhazian residents,” to strengthen “myths” on Georgian side’s suspected intentions to begin hostilities in South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflict zones, and to support “their regimes of Kokoity and Bagapsh.”

According to the minister, “Georgia is really in a state of war in Russia.” “It is an everyday propaganda war; at which, till now, we have not lost any serious battle,” he emphasized. Okruashvili said Russian repeated allegations of proposed Georgian assualt in South Ossetian conflict zone during the last two months are “becoming degenerate.” Also, he explained that Georgia strengthens and trains its army because “every ambitious nation, every ambitious country needs a military.”

Okruashvili declared that, after Georgian parliament adopted a resolution on withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces, “Russians will try to demonstrate to the international community that the decision made by Georgians was wrong and provocative; they will do the utmost in this regard, not hesitating to provoke.” Irakli Okruashvili claimed the two explosions in Tskhinvali which happened before the G8 meeting were “the evidence” of it.

In particular, he claimed that the first terrorist attack victim (South Ossetian Security Council Secretary Oleg Alborov) was a “man with more or less pro-Georgian orientation”. Then he observed that “an error” occurred during the second explosion: “A person survived who is one of most bloody personages in Tskhinvali” (a South Ossetian MP, well-known militant commander Bala Bestayev). “Those actions were aimed at justifying the (Russians’) myth introduced from the very beginning; Georgians were alleged to begin hostilities before the G8 summit in order to discredit Putin,” the minister uttered.

Permanent news address: www.regnum.ru/english/677061.html