DOES ARMENIA FIND IT BORING AND UNPROFITABLE TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH GEORGIA?
Elmira Tariverdiyeva
Trend News Agency
Sept 8 2009
Azerbaijan
Lately there has been an impression that Yerevan finds living in peace,
with the relative majority of its neighbors, boring. But taking a look
at the future, it is unprofitable for Armenia to maintain friendly
relations with some countries, namely Georgia.
No sooner had the world community managed to discuss Turkey’s intention
to improve relations with Armenia, when a new topic for discussion
rose up, on the Georgian region of Javakheti, bordering Armenia and
compactly populated with Armenians.
In early September, during a meeting with representatives of the
Central Office of the Armenian Foreign Ministry and the Armenian
Diplomatic Corps, the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that
Armenia’s leadership must make every possible effort to support the
Armenians living in Georgia, ARMENIA Today said.
Sargsyan said that Yerevan wants the Georgian leadership to give
Armenian the status of regional language in the Georgian region of
Javakheti.. Moreover, Armenia is willing to provide a diocese of the
Armenian Church operating in Georgia with formal registration and the
proper protection of Armenian monuments in Georgia, which amount to
over 600, according to their sources.
Such proposals from their neighbors have caused a negative reaction
in Georgia, a country which has not fully recovered after consequences
of the August war and the occupation of its two regions.
Georgian State Minister for Reintegration, Timur Yakobashvili,
commented on Sargsyan’s statement. "Let Armenia deal with the spread
of the Armenian language in its own country," he said.
Georgia’s sharp denial of Sargsyan’s initiatives is well-founded. For
many years Armenia has emphatically raised the issue concerning the
difficult situation of the Armenian population in Javakheti.
Nothing happens just like that, and political leaders are
unlikely to declare such serious willing without expecting for the
effect. Intensification of Armenia’s claims towards Georgian leadership
is Yerevan’s first step in requesting autonomy form Georgia, and in
the future … who knows.
Moreover, Sargsyan’s words may confuse many Georgian citizens. Even if
Tbilisi were to give up and fulfill all Armenian requirements, the same
requirements could be made to Georgia concerning territories compactly
populated by other ethnic minorities (such as Azerbaijanis). Their
number is no less than the Armenians.
Why does Armenia spite Georgia so intentionally, after she has had
such a hard time? One can answer this question by thinking about the
possible scenario of future events. The Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
is progressing, and it is possible to solve, sooner or later. Then
Armenia, deprived of the economic benefits from this geographical
location it had for such a long period, would find a completely
logical and stable alternative in Georgia having internal problems.
Possible opening of Armenian-Turkish border has made observers think
Georgia is losing its importance as a transit country for the United
States and Europe.
According to U.S agency Bloomberg, Armenia may replace Georgia
as a transit country because of Georgia’s increasing political
instability. The Turkish Daily Star, which News.am agency cites,
reported with reference to sources that Turkey too may support Armenian
joining the Nabucco project amid improved relations between the two
countries. This would be beneficial to the EU, which would prefer
Armenia as a transit country over Georgia.
The safety of these projects is still the most important thing for all
investors of transit projects through Caucasian countries, whether the
railway route from Azerbaijan to Kars, or the pipeline, ensuring to
divert Azerbaijani fuel to Europe. Armenia will meet all requirements
of western investors as a transit country, once the borders with
Turkey are opened and the agreement with Azerbaijan is reached.
The Armenian President’s statements must not be underestimated. Tbilisi
will make a big mistake if, as before, it does not give due importance
to current events. "As it is known, the conflicts have traditionally
begun with rather local arguments. First, they begin with sharp
protest from leaders, indignant about the marginalized situation
of compatriots in a neighboring country, then a war of words in the
media and incidents at the border," the independent Georgian expert,
Zaal Anjaparidze, said in an article published by ARMENIA Today.
Perhaps, it is now necessary for Georgia to recall those sad
experiences of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.