Month: August 2008

BATUMI-POTI
Beril Dedeoglu

Daily Georgian Times
.do?haberno=151283
Aug 27 2008
Georgia

Even if the fighting phase has come to an end in the Georgian war,
other parts of this conflict are far from over.

The US has been pressuring Turkey since the beginning of the 2000s
about the Montreux Convention, which regulates passage through the
Turkish Straits, because Washington has decided that it should have
a presence in the Black Sea region. The covert crisis between Turkey
and the US was about the total tonnage and number of military ships
that the US wanted to send through the straits, their purpose for
reaching that sea and the port where they would cast anchor. Finally,
the Georgian war had assured the US of having an excuse to fly its
flag in the Black Sea.

The presence of the US Navy in the Black Sea is an important political
development on its own, even if this doesn’t mean the modification
of the Montreux regime or the breaching of this convention at this
point. Officially, the US is sending humanitarian aid to Georgia;
but in fact, these ships’ essential task is to demonstrate that the US
supports Georgia in the Russian-Georgian war. When someone talks about
humanitarian aid, the US, governed by neocons, is probably the last
country that comes to mind. Furthermore, a country that wants simply to
send help wouldn’t usually choose ways that would put other countries
such as Turkey into difficult diplomatic positions. Additionally,
it’s not mandatory to send diapers, milk powder, food or medicine
exclusively by sea. However, when the hidden objective is to provoke
Russia, which wants to sign a missile defense shield agreement with
Belarus and to renew its traditional alliance with Syria, then the
presence of the American battleships in the Georgian territorial sea
becomes necessary.

While the US ships unload their humanitarian aid cargo in the port of
Batumi, a city next to the Turkish border, Russia does exactly the
same in Poti, next to Batumi. How nice that Georgians receive that
much aid! In the context of NATO operations, American and Russian
battleships have worked together in the past without any problems,
but today, to have them in two close ports is too risky because of
the growing military tension between them. Additionally, Russia has
just decided to freeze its relationship with NATO.

These recent events have also put Azerbaijan and Armenia in an
uncomfortable position. Important social segments in these countries
were trying to westernize their states without making Russia too
angry. But following the latest developments, Russia seems to be
furious and this will undoubtedly affect not only Georgia, but also
Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

If two major powers apply pressure to a region at the same time, the
possibility of eruption of local armed conflicts based on ethnic,
religious and territorial problems diminish. It is likely that the
Russian-American pressure has delayed the expansion and deepening of
several regional conflicts in the Caucasus for now. But this situation
doesn’t help to resolve the existing problems. Mutual deterrence
can help to freeze conflicts but cannot remove the risk of future
explosions. This means that we may witness more problems in Caucasia
over the issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia or between Armenia
and Turkey. Moreover, the pressure applied by leader countries to
their allied nations can cause a deterioration of the mutual trust
within old alliances, as we have witnessed with the Turkish Straits
situation between the US and Turkey. It’s hard to predict what
societies’ reactions will be in the face of this distrust because
actual international conditions are not what they were during the
Cold War. Most important of all, pressures on states and on societies
don’t always produce similar results.

ARMENIANS IN LOS ANGELES DISSATISFIED WITH AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIAN’S VISIT TO CALIFORNIA

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 27 2008

Los Angeles-APA. Los Angeles-based Dashnak’s Asbarez newspaper
published severe article against the Azerbaijani parliamentarians’
visit to California in the middle August. Allen Yekikan, author of
the article, voiced severe messages not only against Azerbaijan’s
Consulate General in Los Angeles and Azerbaijani parliamentarians
but also against the leaders of local Jewish community.

Dashnak’s Asbarez reporter protested their support for Georgia at the
press conference hosted by Museum of Tolerance of the Simon Wiesenthal
Center in Los Angeles. As the press conference coincided with Russia’s
invasion to Georgia parliamentarian Asim Mollazadeh said this event was
an offensive against the United States, American interests and values.

He said war was going between Russia and Georgia and Osetins were
used for show-off.

The Armenian journalist denounced administration of Museum of
Tolerance too. He accused Museum administration in solidarity with
the Azerbaijani parliamentarians. It is not first accusations by Los
Angeles Armenian community against the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum
of Tolerance because the Center refused to organize exhibition about
the false "Armenian genocide" in 2003. Armenian Diaspora has targeted
the Museum since than.

Last month Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Abraham Cooper
visited Baku. He met with the Azerbaijani officials and representatives
of different religious confessions and Jewish community as well.

TURK-RUSSIAN FMS TO MEET IN ISTANBUL FOR CAUCASUS PLAN

Aug 27 2008
Turkey

Russian ambassador in Ankara said on Wednesday that his country
and Turkey had the same stance regarding the implementation of the
Montreux Convention.

Russian ambassador in Ankara Vladimir Ivanovskiy assessed the latest
developments in the Caucasus region during a press conference held
in the Turkish capital.

Stating that Turkey and Russia shared the exact same views on the
Montreux Convention, Ivanovskiy said all the parties that signed and
did not sign such convention should act in accordance with it.

Commenting on Turkey’s stance regarding the recent developments in
the region, Ivanovskiy said Turkish Foreign Ministry desired the
conflict to be solved in a peaceful way and it supported Georgia’s
territorial integrity.

Ivanovskiy said Russia also supported peace and did not desire to
harm Georgia’s sovereignty.

Replying to a question on the establishment of a "Caucasus Cooperation
and Stability Platform", Ivanovskiy said Turkish and Russian foreign
ministers would meet in Istanbul to discuss this issue in detail in
early September.

Upon a question on how Turkey and Armenia as well as Russia
and Georgia, which are countries that have certain problems with
each other, will be able to sit on a table to discuss such issues,
Ivanovskiy said such a gathering could take place within the framework
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization meeting to be held
in October.

Commenting also on the recognition of Kosovo’s independence, Ivanovskiy
suggested such development violated Europe’s "national sovereignty
principle".

Ivanovskiy was posted as the Russian ambassador in Belgrade during
2002-2003 period.

The ambassador argued such development became a precedent.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DOES ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SUPPORT RUSSIA IN THE ISSUE OF SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA?

Today.Az
ics/47239.html
Aug 27 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenia is for the resolution of conflicts on the basis of people’s
free will, said spokesman for Armenian Foreign Ministry Tigran Balayan
in his interview to Day.Az correspondent.

Thus, asked about the official position of Armenia on recognition
of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by Russia, Balayan said that "Armenia
has always spoken for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and it
continues to be confident that the armed resolution of the conflict
lacks prospects. Such conflicts should be settled on the basis of
people’s free will".

As for the proposal of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
about creation of the Caucasus alliance with participation of Georgia,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey and Russia, Balayan noted that Armenia
has always spoken for a dialogue and talks, especially on the issues
of security and cooperation in the region.

"We welcome the announcement of the Turkish Premier about an intention
to initiate talks on these issues with Armenia," concluded Balayan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUROPEAN PRESS REVIEW: RUSSIA’S RELATIONS WITH WEST IN FREE FALL

Deutsche Welle, Germany
,2144,3 596535,00.html
Aug 27 2008

European editorials are pessimistic about international security after
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev decided to recognize the Georgian
territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

"Russia’s de facto incorporation of parts of another State is
brutal, but it is also unambiguous," wrote the Financial Times
Deutschland. "There will be no need for the EU to bother trying to
reach an amicable solution or discussing the deployment of peacekeepers
in the Caucasus at its upcoming emergency summit this week. After
yesterday, the subject is closed. There is simply no point trying
to negotiate with Russia, and it would be the wrong thing to do,
even if it there were. The EU cannot discuss easing visa restrictions
or economic cooperation when the other side is proving that it sees
international agreements as mere scraps of paper."

The Suddeutsche Zeitung wondered what the next development will
be. "It is unclear how Russian and the West will claw their way out
of the worst crisis (in relations) since the collapse of the Soviet
Union. Right now, they are in free fall. And that happened because
Moscow chose to demonstrate how it is possible for a government to win
a military victory at the same time as digging its political grave. For
weeks, Moscow has been working itself up into an isolationist frenzy,
venting all sorts of grudges believed to be long forgotten, with
the government and its leader burning all the bridges they had so
carefully built…"

The daily Berliner Zeitung condemned Medvedev’s decision:
"The Russian leadership has referred to the right of nations to
self-determination. It is worth reminding them that the 1989 census
in Abkhazia revealed that living alongside Armenians and Russians, 48
percent of the population were Georgian and only 17 percent Abkhaz. By
2005, there were 45 percent Abkhaz and just 6.5 percent Georgians. The
reason for this development: 200,000 of 250,000 Georgians either fled
during conflicts in the 1990s or were driven out. In South Ossetia,
only 29 percent of the population in 1991 were Georgian. They all
fled after Russia’s military strike on Georgia. So when the Abkhaz
and South Ossetians announce independence based ostensibly on a law
of nations, Russian recognition amounts to sanctioning an expulsion
of people that violates the law of nations."

"Anyone still wondering about the motives for Russia’s war against
Georgia must have realized what is going on by now," wrote Spain’s
center-right daily El Mundo. "Moscow made its decision long
ago. Protecting the Ossetians against massacre was just an excuse
to send its tanks into Georgia’s breakaway regions. Russia is using
military might to redraw the map in the Caucasus. The West is watching
this sorry spectacle unfold — this strategy of the fait accompli. But
Europe and its allies are obligated to defend Georgia’s integrity. The
EU must translate its words into action and take a hardliner stance
against Moscow."

In Paris, conservative daily Liberation was similarly convinced
that the West needs to get tough with Russia: "The Russian
president’s decision to recognize Georgia’s breakaway regions is
sheer provocation (…) These two "states" only exist thanks to
the petro-dollar and the Russian army. Whether in South Ossetia or
Abkhazia, thousands of Georgians in these regions have fallen victim
to ethnic cleansing. Their "governments" made up of collaborators are
mafia-like creations of the Russian secret service. The "ministers"
in South Ossetia are retired Russian generals. What can be done
about it? Moscow’s actions must be condemned, obviously. But first
and foremost, we need to see a debate about future relations between
the West and Russia."

But left-leaning British broadsheet The Guardian suggested that
Moscow might actually be playing straight into the hands of Mikheil
Saakashvili: "In defiance even of Germany and France, which adopted the
most even-handed approach to the Georgian conflict, Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing the independence of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia. There was little pressure on him to do so. Both
provinces have been independent from Tbilisi since 1991, when the
last hothead Georgian president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, tried to seize
them. Recognition will not make either the Ossetians or the Abkhaz
sleep safer in their beds. It will not do anything to stop the ethnic
cleansing of Georgian villages in these enclaves, which the Russian
foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, condemned yesterday….. Russia’s
actions are handing Georgia a military alliance with the west on
a silver platter. This is the glittering strategic prize for which
Mikheil Saakashvili, the nationalist Georgian president who ordered
his troops to attack Tskhinvali, has been toiling day and night. It
is a prize that he may consider to be worth the sacrifice of two
parts of his country."

AKP MP MEETS US OFFICIAL IN DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

bulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=27249
Aug 27 2008
Turkey

Egemen Bagis, an MP from the ruling AKP, met Madeleine Albright,
a former U.S. secretary of state and the chairperson of the Board
of Directors of a think-tank named National Democratic Institute
over breakfast.

A Turkish parliamentarian had a meeting with a former U.S. secretary
of state in the United States on Tuesday.

Egemen Bagis, an MP from the ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party,
met Madeleine Albright, a former U.S. secretary of state and the
chairperson of the Board of Directors of a think-tank named National
Democratic Institute (NDI), over breakfast.

The NDI is an organization created by the United States government by
way of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to channel grants
for furthering democracy in developing nations.

Bagis is representing AK Party in a convention of the Democratic
Party in Denver.

Bagis and Albright discussed the crisis between Georgia and
Russia, recent developments in Caucasus, energy security, Middle
East peace process, Turkey’s European Union (EU) membership bid,
Turkish-U.S. relations and Armenian allegations regarding the incidents
of 1915.

During the meeting, Albrigt appreciated Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s efforts for world peace and underlined Erdogan’s Caucasus
Pact idea which could bring together the parties in a peaceful
platform.

Also, both Bagis and Albrigt reaffirmed importance of Turkey’s role
as a mediator between Israel and Syria.

Bagis said that Albright, an influential person in the foreign policy
team of Barrack Obama–the presidential candidate for Democratic
Party, was one of the people in the United States who had perceived
Turkey’s importance.

Therefore, Bagis requested that Albright should prevent initiatives
that could harm relations in a possible Democrat Party administration,
and that she should boost relations.

Albright assured Bagis that she would continue to do her best to
further improve Turkish-U.S. relations.

Bagis also had talks with NDI President Kenneth Wollack, Georgia’s
Vice Premier Giorgi Baramidze, British parliamentarian Baroness Uddin,
and Reinhard Butikofer of the Greens party in Germany.

Albright is the first woman to become the U.S. Secretary of State. She
was appointed by President Bill Clinton on December 5th, 1996 and
was unanimously confirmed by the Senate 99-0. She was sworn in on
January 23rd, 1997 and served as the secretary till January 20th, 2001.

ISA QAMBAR: "RECOGNITION OF INDEPENDENCE OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA IS RUSSIA’S OPEN CHALLENGE TO THE WORLD SOCIETY"

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Aug 27 2008

Recognition of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is an open
and cynical violation of all international norms and principle of
inviolability of borders and Russia’s open challenge to the world
society, said Musavat party leader Isa Qambar.

He considers the recognition of independence of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia to be an erroneous step from the side of the working
leadership of Russia, which created a new situation in our region and
leads to reassessment of trust to Russia from the side of the whole
world society.

"I am sure that Azerbaijan should draw serious conclusions from the
established situation and take all necessary measures to ensure its
territorial integrity and security", said Qambar.

According to him, by its decision to recognize independence of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia, Russia will cause its own international isolation
and if the Armenian leadership decides to recognize independence
of Nagorno Karabakh, it will not change Nagorno Karabakh’s destiny,
which is an integral part of Azerbaijan, but may lead to Armenia’s
international isolation and prove Armenia to be Russia’s outpost in
the Caucasus, rather than an independent state.

"Certainly, following these events, Azerbaijan, like Georgia, which
has borders with Russia, can not feel safe from possible aggression
from the Russia side. It means that Azerbaijan should accelerate
its integration with NATO, which is the most effective system of
security from possible aggression by Russia. It is time for taking
definite steps in this direction. Any delay in this issue threatens
the territorial integrity of our country".

He added that Musavat party, like the rest oppositional parties and
movements of our country, is ready to forget all differences for
the national interests of Azerbaijan, if the Azerbaijan leadership
conducts correct external policy.

NO INCIDENT OBSERVED WHILE MONITORING LINE OF CONTACT NEAR AZERBAIJAN’S BERDE-AGHDAM HIGHWAY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 27 2008

Aghdam. Teymur Zahidoghlu – APA. Under the mandate of the Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the line of contact
near Berde-Aghdam highway has been monitored today. APA’s Karabakh
bureau reports that field assistants of personal representative of
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Peter Kii and Antal Herdich, who conducted
monitoring from Azerbaijani side, met with Head of Aghdam Region
Executive Power Hasan Sariyev. Sariyev briefed them about frequent
violation of ceasefire by Armenians, arsons committed in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories by Armenians and their damage.

Following this, the line of contact was monitored. No incident occurred
during the monitoring.

The monitoring in the opposite side of the contact line recognized as
territory of Azerbaijan on international level was conducted by field
assistants of personal representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office Irji
Aberle and Vladimir Chountulov.

THE AMBASSADOR OF RUSSIA IN BAKU: RUSSIA’S RECOGNITION OF ABKHAZIA AND OSSETIA DOES NOT PREJUDICE THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan Business Center, Azerbaijan
Aug 27 2008

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Russia is not going to extrapolate on Azerbaijan
the precedent it created yesterday concerning one-side recognition
of independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Ambassador of Russia to Azerbaijan Vasiliy Istratov said at a
special briefing in Baku that Russia respects the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan despite the fact it recognized the independence of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Russia will not change its attitude towards the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan. The declaration signed by Presidents Dmitriy
Medvedev and Ilham Aliyev this July is not loosing its power at
all," V.Istratov said. Under the declaration, Russia recognized the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in full volume, including occupied
by Armenia Nagorno Karabakh and seven regions around it.

"The decision on recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia is difficult, compulsory, but an only possible way in current
conditions. The decision concerns a concrete situation occurred in
the region as a result of the military actions launched by Georgia in
South Ossetia on August 8. It is applicable only to concrete situation
occurred in concrete spaces," V.Istratov thinks.

Many people in Azerbaijan think that such concrete situation might
appear in Azerbaijan concerning Nagorno Karabakh, the conflict around
which was interrupted under the Bishkek Armistice of 1994.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PARTIES AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS DEMAND RECOGNITION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE SELF-DECLARED "NAGORNO KARABAKH REPUBLIC"

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Aug 27 2008

Tens of Armenian public organizations and parties appealed to the
Armenian powers regarding the conflict between Georgia and South
Ossetia.

"The armed aggression, Georgia demonstrated in South Ossetia, proves
that the praised quo-status has no real grounds in our region.

Experience shows that the talks, aimed at the resolution of frozen
conflicts in the South Caucasus, gradually lead to resumption of
hostilities. Moreover, both Georgia and Azerbaijan, protracting
the negotiation process, use peaceful time for armament and armed
resolution of the conflicts.

It is clear that the negotiation process can not lead to the peaceful
resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Today, the only guarantee
of the statehood of the self-declared "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" and
security of its population can be its influence and the national army.

Therefore, considering the bitter experience of Ossetia, as well as
Azerbaijan’s bellicose statements and active armament of its army,
we demand from the Armenian powers to recognize the independence of
the self-declared "Nagorno Karabakh Republic", conclude military,
political and economic intergovernmental agreements with it and start
active process for the international recognition of the self-declared
"Nagorno Karabakh Republic".

The statement was undersigned by Mika analytical center, youth public
organization "Generation of Dependence", Union of young orientalists,
Armenian youth forum, public organization Araet, student council
of the journalism faculty of Yerevan state university, public
organization "Postoim", public organization "Proud", student youth
alliance "Progressive youth", youth public organization "Generation
of victory", public organization "New reality", Union of organization
"Single nation", public organization "National union of Armenia", party
"Single nation", public organization "Youth wave", public organization
"Armenian association for study of conflict and peace", party "Order
of Armenian Arians", New Armenia, Ay Yerak and others.