Author: Hambardsumian Paul

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT: "I HOPE THE SOLUTION TO NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM WILL BE FOUND SOON"

Today.Az
tics/47279.html
Aug 29 2008
Azerbaijan

"The events in Georgia and South Ossetia were a tragedy, which
caused death to people", said Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan in
his interview to Turkish Radical newspaper.

The President noted that Armenia is for the resolution of such issues
by way of talks, on the basis of the free will of people and respect
for the right for self-determination.

"It is a pity that the situation is growing tense and we do not like
it. We believe that the joint initiative of the Presidents of Russia
and France will promote peace and stability, which is very important to
us. 70% of Armenian trade turnover is conducted via Georgia", said he.

He said there is really a gasoline crisis in Armenia, which was
a result of a blast on the Georgian railway bridge. The president
voiced hope that this issue will soon be settled. Sargsyan noted that
instability in the region is not positive for Armenia and durable
stability will worsen situation and raise the number of problems.

Analyzing the conflicts in the South Caucasus, Sargsyan noted that
all of them have both similarities and differences. The president
recommended to take lessons from this, instead of focusing on details.

"I see that speculations around the armed resolution of the problem
lead to dangerous consequences", noted he.

He said that the meeting with president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
in Saint Petersburg on June 6 was effective. "Both sides instructed
the the foreign ministers to continue work on the basis of Madrid
principles. I hope that we will find the solution in the near future",
noted he.

At the same time, he said it is incorrect to make any predictions
before the presidential elections in Azerbaijan.

PRESS CENTER FOR ARMENIA-TURKEY FOOTBALL MATCH

Panorama.am
17:53 29/08/2008

The Press center for Armenia-Turkey World Cup qualifier match will
work from 3-6 September in "Armenia Mariott" hotel.

According to AFF the main goal of the press center is to ensure
easy work of international mass media and of different journalists
informing about the coming match.

SERZH SARGSYAN: PERSONAL RELATIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR DECISION MAKING

arminfo
2008-08-28 20:12:00

ArmInfo. Personal relations play a very important role in decision
making, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in his interview with
the Turkish newspaper Radikal when replying to a question about the
degree of Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s visit to Armenia. As the
Armenian presidential press-service told ArmInfo, Sargsyan said:
"It is not easy to take key decisions. Personal relations also play
an important role here". "If I didn’t believe in the importance of
this visit, I wouldn’t invite Gul. We are neighbors. We had difficult
times in the history. However, Armenia is ready for development of
relations, and we expect the same from Turkey", he added.

To recall, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan invited Turkish President
Abdullah Gul to visit Yerevan to watch the football match of the
national teams of Armenia and Turkey on September 6.

ARMENIA IS READY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS: PRESIDENT SARGSYAN’S INTERVIEW WITH TURKISH RADIKAL DAILY

armradio.am
29.08.2008 11:02

Question: The match between the national football teams of Armenia
and Turkey on September 6 may be viewed as the most politicized
sport event in our region. From the point of view of politics, what
expectations did you have when you invited Turkey’s President Abdullah
Gul to watch the match together?

Answer: My primary objective was the normalization of relations
between our countries. In his congratulatory message on the occasion
of my election to the post of President Abdullah Gul spoke about the
opportunities of normalization of relations. Later Prime Minister
Erdogan declared that the doors are open for dialogue. In response
to that I decided to use this opportunity. There is a good sport
event ahead. Our national football teams will meet for the first
time in history. It can be a good opportunity for the development of
our relations. It’s not important what result will be registered,
but I hope that the fans will enjoy. The inspiration is going to
be great. This match will be an exceptional event in our relations,
and I hope that it will become more exceptional with the presence of
the Armenian and Turkish Presidents. I think having normal relations
will be more beneficial for both peoples. My invitation to Gul should
be viewed in this context.

Q.: There are certain concerns in Ankara connected with the
above-mentioned invitation. There are border problems and, besides
there is a question how Gul will be welcomed in Yerevan. Do you share
these concerns?

A.: There can be no concern connected with organizational issues. If
we have invited a President of a state, we shall take all necessary
measures to organize the reception on the highest level.

Q.: Serious developments have taken place in the Caucasus after you
sent an invitation to Gul. I mean the Georgian-Ossetan conflict. What’s
your opinion about Russia’s policy on South Ossetia and Abkhazia?

A.: Tragic events have taken place in effect, people died. This has
been yet another result of the arms race. We hold that such issues
should be solved by talks. We support the right for self-determination
on the basis of the free will of people. We believe that the
implementation of the plan initiated by Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev and French President Nicolas Sarkozy will bring peace and
stability. Peace and stability are very important for Armenia. More
than 70% of our trade is implemented on the Georgian territory.

Q.: Do you think the Nagorno Karabakh issue, which is serious problem
in your relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, can be solved soon? Do
you predict that the agreement with Azerbaijan will raise the political
and economic cooperation in the region to a new level?

A.

: We had a rather productive meeting with Mr. Aliyev in Saint
Petersburg on June 6. WE both instructed the Foreign Ministers
to continue the work on the basis of the Madrid principles. Three
meetings have taken place so far. I hope we will find a solution in
a short period of time.

Q.: Can you mention approximate dates?

A.: It will not be coorect to make an predictions before the
presidential elections in Azerbaijan. After the elections we shall
see what developments are taking place.

Q.: Do you think the situation in South Ossetia and Abkhazia is like
that in Nagorno Karabakh? I’m asking this because you said the right
of peoples to self-determination should be taken into consideration.

A.: All the conflicts have similarities and differences. I think
that instead of concentrating on the similarities and differences,
we should think about drawing lessons. I see that the disputes about
solving issue sin a military way lead to unpredictable and dangerous
consequences. I would like to know how many people predicted the
outcome of the conflict before it started. We should be very cautious.

Q.: From the outside it seems that the relations between Armenia
and Turkey are in a deadlock because of the Genocide issue. Is this
impression correct?

Do you think that the Armenian-Turkish relations cannot move forward
until Turkey recognizes the tragic events of 1915 as genocide? It is
a precondition?

A.: You will not find a single Armenian in the world that would
not believe in the fact of the Genocide. However, the recognition
of the Genocide is not a precondition for normalizing the relations
with Turkey. Perhaps, that is why we say we are ready to establish
diplomatic relations with Turkey without any precondition.

Q.: Do you think the close diplomatic meetings between Armenia and
Turkey will yield results?

A.: Without any doubt, my support would be impossible if I did not
believe that these would yield results. However, on the other hand,
I believe that the process of relations shows that we, the leaders of
the two countries have reached the stage of decision-making. These
decisions are not going to be easy ones. Not the whole societies of
Armenia and Turkey will approve these decisions. But I’m sure that most
part of the societies will approve the decisions. I do not mean the
diplomatic efforts but the overall atmosphere. Gul’s congratulatory
message, Edrogan’s words, even the interview with you comprise part
of that atmosphere. That is why I believe that we have reached the
stage of decision-making.

Q.: Will Gul’s arrival or non-arrival in Armenia affect the situation?

A.: I think it will be important, since important decisions are not
taken easily. Personal relations are also important. Speaking before
the society and speaking looking into your interlocutors eyes are
different=2 0things. I would not invite Gul if I did not believe
in the importance of this visit. We are neighbors. We have had hard
times in history. However, Armenia is ready for the development of
relations and we expect the same from Turkey.

ARMENIAN SPORTSMEN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES WIN 2 GOLD MEDALS IN BEIJING

Noyan Tapan

Au g 27, 2008

YEREVAN, AUGUST 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Two sportsmen of Armenian origin who
represented other countries in Beijing: Artur Ayvazian (shooting), who
was born in Yerevan and represented Ukraine at the Beijing Olympics,
and Byurakn Hakhverdian, a female water polo player, whose family had
moved from Iran to the Netherlands – have won gold medals. Greco-Roman
wrestlers Armen Vardanian (Ukraine) and Ara Abrahamian (Sweden),
both are former residents of the Armenian city of Gyumri, have won
bronze medals. However, 33-year-old Ara Abrahamian refused to take
his medal in protest to a judge’s decision, due to which the IOC
disqualified him. The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne
justified A. Abrahamian who appealed against the biased judging.

TURKEY IS IN TROUBLE

Panorama.am
15:59 25/08/2008

Sen. Joe Biden, Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama’s
choice for vice presidency, during his 35 years in the U.S. Senate
has almost constantly voted for or joined initiatives against Turkey’s
interests. It is reported by "Turkish Daily News".

Like Obama, Biden is a staunch supporter of the Armenian cause. The
two men both back last year’s draft resolution in the Senate calling
for the United States’ official recognition of World War I-era killings
of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as "genocide".

Biden, 65, was close to and influenced by former Democratic
Sen. Paul Sarbanes, who is of ethnic Greek origin, and has adopted
an anti-Turkish position on several disputes with Greece and Greek
Cypriots.

Over the past 15 years, Biden has also worked against a number of
planned U.S. arms transfers to Turkey.

Note, Barak Obama has announced that after the election he will adopt
the article, on World War I-era killings of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire as "genocide".

MERKEL CALLS FOR CAUCASUS SUMMIT AHEAD OF BALTIC TOUR

Deutsche Welle
,2144,358 8880,00.html
Aug 25 2008
Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a summit of Georgia’s
neighbors following the country’s recent conflict with Russia. On
Monday, she heads to the Baltics to lobby for a more nuanced approach
towards Moscow.

Russia itself was not on the list of countries envisaged by Merkel —
which included Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan — but no country
should be excluded from participation, the spokesman said.

"It’s up to the French presidency of the EU to decide if this
conference will take place, as well as when and who will be invited,"
spokesman Thomas Steg said.

According to the latest edition of German weekly Der Spiegel, which
will be published on Monday, Merkel proposed the summit idea to French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the European Union’s
rotating presidency. Berlin reckons the theme of the summit should be
"reconstruction and stability in Georgia and the region," the German
government spokesman said.

The German leader has been firm in demanding Russia withdraw its
troops from Georgia proper and made it clear that she takes a dim
view of Moscow’s recent actions.

Merkel visited Tbilisi where she made it clear after talks with
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili that Georgia "will become a
member of NATO" — a bone of contention with Moscow which is deeply
uneasy about the military alliance’s expansion.

But Merkel also made a point of visiting Russia for talks with
President Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi on the Black Sea and saying that
the lines of communication must remain open.

Her Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has also warned against
any "knee-jerk" reaction in the West’s relations with Moscow, such
as suspending talks on a partnership and cooperation agreement with
the EU.

Reinforcing Germany’s stance, Berlin urged Russia to withdraw its
troops completely from Georgia on Saturday, saying that while the
withdrawal had begun the information available indicated it was
not complete.

Steg said the German government’s assessment concurred with that of
Saakashvili. He added that Chancellor Angela Merkel had spoken by
telephone to Saakashvili on Saturday.

"The German government expects that Russia complete the withdrawal
without delay in line with the Six Point Plan signed by Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev and pulls back its troops to the lines
before the outbreak of hostilities," Steg said.

In particular, road and rail transport routes between western and
eastern Georgia had to be cleared and full freedom of movement re-
established, he added, saying Russian troops should leave the zone
to the south of South Ossetia.

Merkel heading to Baltics

In another whirlwind diplomatic tour Merkel heads to the Baltic states
on Monday, hoping to mend damaging differences in Europe’s response
to the Georgia crisis and over future relations with Moscow.

The Baltics, under Soviet control in the Cold War and now European
Union and NATO members, have joined fellow ex-communist states
Poland and Ukraine — and the United States and Britain — in sharply
criticizing Russia during the recent conflict with Georgia.

Days after Russian talks rolled into Georgia on Aug. 8, the leaders
of the three Baltic states plus Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski
and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko all traveled to Tbilisi to
express their solidarity with President Saakashvili.

The five leaders appeared together on stage at an anti-Moscow rally
in Tbilisi on Aug. 12, joining hands and holding them aloft to cheers
from a crowd of tens of thousands of people.

They even slammed a ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi
brokered by President Sarkozy, saying it failed to protect their
ally Georgia.

Germany walking a diplomatic tightrope

Berlin by contrast, which over recent years has enjoyed perhaps
the warmest relations with Moscow of any of the EU’s 27 members,
has fully supported Sarkozy’s efforts and has tried to have a more
nuanced approach.

Berlin wants cooperation with Moscow to "based on common concepts of
values and goals … The application of military force and marching
into a sovereign country of course are not part of these common
values," Steg said last week.

The differences in approach have led to talk of a split between the
countries of "old Europe" like Germany and France and those of "new
Europe" like Poland and the Baltics over how to deal with Moscow.

"Merkel must try to calm down some the rhetoric because to my
understanding the current policy of some new (EU) members like Poland
and the Baltics is counter-productive, not only in respect to Georgia
but also in respect to Russia," said Otfried Nassauer from the Berlin
Center for Transatlantic Security.

"The new members have pushed NATO to take a relatively strong position,
but this is not really backed up very well by real policy options,"
Nassauer told the AFP news agency. "To threaten Russia with an
interruption of NATO-Russia Council discussions is not a real threat."

But Merkel must be careful as she is walking a tightrope, said
Alexander Rahr, a Russia expert at the German Council on Foreign
Relations (DGAP) in Berlin.

"I think she is trying to please everyone," Rahr told AFP. "But this
could of course backfire, this kind of policy, because it is not
quite clear where Germany really stands."

After first visiting Stockholm for talks with Swedish Prime Minister
Fredrik Reinfeldt on Monday, Merkel will travel to Tallinn the next
day where she will meet with Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip
and President Toomas Hendrik Ives.

Later on Tuesday Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany where
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin worked for the KGB, travels to
the Lithuanian capital Vilnius for talks with Prime Minister Gediminas
Kirkilas and with President Valdas Adamkus.

VIRTUAL CSTO: COLLECTIVE DEFENSE OF THE COMMONWEALTH HAS FIASCO

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 25, 2008 Monday
Russia

CSTO exercises are organized regularly but neither the troops of
the CSTO nor the organization itself play a significant role in
the post-Soviet space. A riot happened in Kyrgyzstan in 2005. CSTO
exercises were going on at that time but the troops did not help the
overthrown regime of Askar Akaev. CSTO member sates also manifested a
similar indifference towards the South Ossetian conflict and towards
Russia as the country that parried the aggression.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote that the majority of the CSTO member states
considered the nearest allies of Russia take its harsh actions for
parrying Georgian aggression in South Ossetia in a very cautious and
reserved manner. This conclusion became obvious after the summit of
defense ministers in Yerevan on August 21. All participants of the
summit except for the President of Armenia abstained from open support
of the military operations of Moscow against Georgia. Participants of
the summit discussed a lot of issues (20 issues on the official agenda)
including the plans of a coalition military buildup for the period
until 2010 and improvement of operational and combat training of the
coalition forces of the OSCE. However, bearing in mind the reaction
of the CSTO to the situation in South Ossetia, it is possible to say
that these issues are deprived of practical meaning. Quite recently,
leaders of the CSTO announced plans of formation of peacekeeping units
and their possible participation in operations in the "hot spots"
on the territory of the CIS. Now this is forgotten and the peace
enforcement operation carried out by Russian peacekeepers in South
Ossetia is simply hushed down or posed in the light not beneficial
for Russia among the allies of Russia in the CSTO.

The CSTO includes former Soviet republics (Russia, Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) that already have
different geopolitical interests due to their geographic, economic and
other position in the post-Soviet space. Probably that was why many
CSTO member states did not express their attitude to actions of Moscow
in South Ossetia. Uzbekistan keeps silent. Moscow supported it during
the mutiny in Andizhan in 2005. Tajikistan keeps silent. Russia and
its CSTO allies defended its independence and territorial integrity
at the beginning of the 1990s after breakup of the USSR.

On behalf of the permanent council of the CSTO, General Secretary of
the CSTO, Nicolai Bordyuzha, characterized the actions of Georgia
in a harsh way. However, this organization did not work out any
documents. Along with this, Bordyuzha refers to the fact that the
"evaluation of the entire situation not only in Georgia and South
Ossetia but in foreign policy in genera will be voiced in September at
summits of foreign ministers and chiefs of states of the CSTO." This
is too late, is it not?

This issue might be already inappropriate because the closest allies
of Russia in the CSTO – Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan – did not support
Russia. At a recent meeting with the President of Kazakhstan,
President of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiev, announced, "conflicts
similar to the conflict between Russia and Georgia should be resolved
purely on the basis of international law and only in a politically
diplomatic way." In turn, President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbaev,
emphasized that "Russian mass media characterized the situation as a
humanitarian catastrophe and the genocide of Ossetian people. The truth
will probably be found out later." Thus, Kyrgyzstan that is the chair
in the CSTO now and Kazakhstan, the best friend of Russia, actually
considered the use of military force against Georgia unjustified saying
that it was necessary to solve the problem at a table of negotiations.

Armenia should be interested in military support of Russia but the
stance of Yerevan was ambiguous too. During the days of fighting
in South Ossetia, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia expressed a hope
that the warring parties would take effort for quickly settling
disputes through dialogue. Yerevan did not condemn the aggression of
Saakashvili against South Ossetia. Only on August 22, President of
Armenia, Serzh Sarkisyan, said at a meeting with defense ministers
of the CSTO member states that tragic events in South Ossetia showed
that such confects should be resolved on the basis of free will of
the population. Otherwise we will inevitably witness ethnic separatism
and neglect of the international humanitarian law norms.

Incidentally, on the eve of the aggression of Georgia against South
Ossetia, servicemen from Armenia participated in NATO exercises
Immediate Response-2008 organized in Georgia scenario of which reminded
dynamic of the hostilities in South Ossetia. Having accomplished
the military exercises in the framework of the CSTO, Armenia starts
joint exercises with NATO countries Cooperative archer/Cooperative
lancer-2008 on its territory at the end of 2008. The scenario
of the exercises will be based on the "actions for reaction to
crises" outlined by NATO. Thus, it may happen someday that NATO will
become the main guarantor of stability in the Caucasus, says Ruben
Tovmasyan, chair of the central committee of the communist party of
Armenia. According to Tovmasyan, "strengthening NATO in Armenia is
strengthening of Turkey in reality." Tovmasyan believes that security
of the country may be guaranteed only in the framework of the CSTO.

Source: . The meeting of the council of defense ministers of the member
states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) took
place in Yerevan on August 21. The Russian delegation was headed by
Senior Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel General Alexander Kolmakov. The
event had to be meaningful because the fourth stage of joint command
staff exercises of the CSTO Rubezh-2008 took place on August 22 at
the training range named after Marshal Bagramyan 40 kilometers to
the west of Yerevan. The fourth stage, the so-called active phase of
the exercises, allowed checking the possibility of joint defensive
operation. The "indicating troops" included armored vehicles, tube
and rocket artillery, army, attack and fighter aviation, air defense
systems, combat engineers and signal units of the armed forces and
border guards of Armenia, the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri
and an airborne landing unit from Tajikistan. Other CSTO member states
were represented by operational groups of their defense ministries.

United Press International
Aug 21 2008

Analysis: Energy crisis in the Caucasus

by STEFAN NICOLA

BERLIN, Aug. 21

The war in Georgia was not mainly about energy, as some have said, but
it highlights the vulnerability of energy deliveries through the
Caucasus and threatens future projects in the region.

Pipeline security can be quite a fascinating topic, even to the
standards of a James Bond movie. The 1999 blockbuster "The World Is
Not Enough" deals with the construction of an oil pipeline through the
Caucasus, from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean coast of Turkey;
it is called "King pipeline" in the film, but it is obvious what
pipeline is really meant: the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, which transports
oil from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field in the Caspian Sea via
Azerbaijan and Georgia to Ceyhan, a port on Turkey’s Mediterranean
coast.

Shortly before the war between Georgia and Russia captured headlines,
an explosion and fire in eastern Turkey (the Kurdish rebel group
Kurdistan Workers’ Party claimed responsibility, but Turkish officials
denied the fire was man-made) shut down parts of the BTC pipeline. The
world’s second-largest oil pipeline, the BTC is a key element of the
West’s strategy to diversify its energy exports and become less
dependent on Russian deliveries.

Moscow wanted to have part of the BTC pipeline run through its
territories, but when that was denied, it refused to join the
project. British Petroleum leads the project companies, and Washington
became one of its greatest supporters. The BTC pipeline pumps oil to
customers in Turkey and Western Europe, and Russia can’t do much about
it — or can it?

Russia’s offensive into Georgia included attacks on military
facilities, but there are also reports that the Russian military,
while pulling out, is destroying vital energy infrastructure.

While Russia denies this, its military presence in the country forced
shut a pipeline transporting some 100,000 barrels of oil a day from
Azerbaijan to the Georgian port of Supsa, after shippers declared
force majeure, a legal option contractors can fall back on if
circumstances beyond their control make work at a pipeline
impossible. A natural gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to Georgia and
Turkey was also shut down for several days because of the
fighting. All over the country, Russia with vessels and ground troops
has been blocking ports, streets and railroads, severely impeding
deliveries and transit of oil-related products in or out of the
country. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has stated repeatedly
that the country, because of its transit role that undermines Russia’s
energy influence, was a recipient of aggression. That some Central
Asian countries, the Caucasus and the Caspian region — formerly parts
of the Soviet Union — have become a key transit region for Western
energy deliveries is more than a thorn in the eye of the Kremlin.

Nevertheless, experts say the Georgian-Russian conflict was not an
energy war.

"Energy resources certainly were not the main reason for Russia’s
military campaign; that would be simplifying the conflict. It wasn’t a
war about oil," Uwe Halbach, Caucasus expert at the German Institute
for International and Security Affairs, told United Press
International in an interview. "But of course it plays into the whole
thing. New pipeline projects are now in question. At least they have
to be re-evaluated for security reasons."

Observers are concerned that some planned projects, including the
Nabucco pipeline and the Odessa-Brody-Gdansk-Polotsk oil pipeline, are
on hold because of the difficult security situation in the region. At
best, the crisis demonstrates that the West needs to provide better
security for the pipelines designed to bring oil and gas into Europe.

And there is even greater potential for problems flaring up in the
region, according to an expert.

"Any troubles between Armenian and Azerbaijani minorities in Georgia
could potentially re-ignite a dormant conflict between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over who controls the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region,"
Sergei Blagov wrote in a commentary for ISN Security Watch. "Such an
eventuality may put an end to any plans of sustainable oil and gas
supplies from Azerbaijan and Central Asia circumventing Russia."

There is some good news, however: The BTC pipeline will resume work
next week, officials said.

"Wir müssen Widersprüche mildern"
Armeniens Präsident Serge Sarkisian im STANDARD-Interview: Enorme
Bedrohung durch das Wettrüsten im Kaukasus

Armeniens Präsident Serge Sarkisian kritisiert im Gespräch mit Markus
Bernath indirekt den Westkurs Georgiens. Den Krieg im Nachbarland
versteht er als Folge der "Widersprüche" zwischen den USAund Russland.

DER STANDARD/AUSTRIA
22. August 2008

STANDARD: "Seid freundlich zu Russland, schaut nicht zu sehr auf den
Westen" ` Ist das die Lektion, die Russland mit dem Krieg den Ländern
im Kaukasus erteilt hat?

Sarkisian: Ein Blick zurück in die Geschichte Armeniens zeigt, dass die
Freundschaft mit Russland nie erzwungen worden ist. Dass man
Freundschaft nicht unter Zwang schlieÃ?en, geschweige denn
aufrechterhalten kann, versteht sich von selbst. Ich möchte nicht für
andere Länder sprechen, aber zumindest Armenien ist sehr offen,
freimütig und beständig in seinen Beziehungen zu Russland.

Lassen Sie mich auch betonen, dass unsere strategische Partnerschaft
mit Russland nie ein Hindernis gewesen ist, unsere gute Zusammenarbeit
auf andere Staaten in und auÃ?erhalb der Region und auf internationale
Organisationen zu erstrecken. Das breite Spektrum laufender,
gemeinsamer Programme mit der EU und der Nato, die sich zunehmend
entwickelnden Beziehungen zu europäischen Staaten, den USA und dem Iran
beweisen das.

STANDARD: Die Armenier sind nicht zum ersten Mal direkt von den
Auswirkungen einer Krise zwischen Georgien und Russland betroffen.
Welchen Rat für den Umgang mit Russland können Sie Ihren Partnern in
Georgien geben?

Sarkisian: Einen Ratschlag zu geben wäre unangemessen. Die Politik, die
wir in den vergangenen Jahren entwickelt haben, beruht auf dem Prinzip,
dass kleine Mächte in unserer au�erordentlich sensiblen Region wirklich
jede Anstrengung unternehmen müssen, mögliche Widersprüche zwischen den
Supermächten zu mildern und nicht zu verschlimmern. Es ist recht
einfach, in irgendeiner Region kurzfristig Gewinne zu machen, indem man
sich auf Widersprüche zwischen den gro�en Mächten stützt. Es ist
andererseits die Mühe wert, wenn auch schwieriger, im Bereich
gemeinsamer Interessen eine offene Zusammenarbeit anzustreben. Auch
wenn man alle Herausforderungen berücksichtigt, die sich heute stellen
und die man annehmen muss: Es ergibt keinen Sinn, neue Trennlinien und
künstliche ideologische Lager zu errichten.

STANDARD: In Armenien liegt eine bedeutende russische Militärbasis. Ist
eine russische Vormachtstellung im Südkaukasus gut für Armenien?

Sarkisian: Souveränität, die Bedeutung hat, ist für Armenien so
gewinnbringend wie für jeden anderen Staat. In unseren Zeiten setzt
eine solche Souveränität die Teilnahme an wirksamen internationalen und
regionalen Sicherheitsübereinkommen voraus. Armenien hat in dieser
Hinsicht20die Entscheidung getroffen, sich der Organisation des Vertrags
über kollektive Sicherheit (CSTO, die militärische Organisation der
Gemeinschaft Unabhängiger Staaten, GUS, Anm.) anzuschlie�en. Das
Basisinstrument der Organisation ist, dass ein bewaffneter Angriff auf
einen Mitgliedstaat ein Angriff auf alle ist. Ich glaube, Militärbasen
sind in unseren Zeiten eher das Symbol einer wirksamen Zusammenarbeit
als einer Vormacht.

STANDARD: Welche Schlüsse ziehen Sie aus der militärischen Intervention
in Georgien für Berg-Karabach, einen anderen dieser so genannten
"eingefrorenen Konflikte" ?

Sarkisian: Die tragischen Ereignisse in Südossetien bestätigen, dass
jeder Versuch im Südkaukasus, eine militärische Antwort zu suchen, um
nach dem Recht auf Selbstbestimmung zu streben, schwerwiegende
militärische und geopolitische Folgen mit sich bringt. Die jüngsten
Ereignisse haben die reale Bedrohung klar gemacht, die im Wettrüsten,
in ungerechtfertigten Steigerungen des Militärbudgets und kriegerischer
Rhetorik im Südkaukasus liegen. Die Ereignisse haben auch bewiesen,
dass die Lösung ähnlicher Konflikte auf dem Prinzip der freien
Willensäu�erung des Volks liegen sollte, das für Selbstbestimmung
kämpft, und dass Lösungen diesem Willen entspringen müssen. Andere
Herangehensweisen werden unvermeidlich zu "ethnischen Säuberungen" und
der Verletzung internationaler humanitärer Gesetze führen.

STANDARD: Die Türkei hat nie wirklich auf Armeniens Angebot zur
Aufnahme diplomatischer Beziehungen ohne Bedingungen geantwortet. Sie
haben nun sogar den türkischen Präsidenten nach Eriwan eingeladen. Was
lässt Sie glauben, dass die türkische Führung offener für einen Dialog
wird?

Sarkisian: Wir sind bereit, ohne Vorbedingungen Beziehungen mit der
Türkei aufzunehmen. Armenien hat sich immer dieser politischen Linie
verpflichtet gefühlt. Heute stehen wir einer politischen Situation
gegenüber, von der niemand profitiert, sondern im Gegenteil, bei der
viele verlieren. Ich bin überzeugt, dass die dauernde Rivalität keinen
Sinn ergibt und unnötig ist. Vor einigen Tagen hat mein türkischer
Amtskollege erklärt, dass die Türkei keine Feinde in der Region hat. Um
Worte in Taten umzusetzen, sollten konkrete Schritte zur Normalisierung
getan werden. (DER STANDARD, Printausgabe, 23./24.8.2008)