Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Russia And Region: Moscow Floats Ideas On Ensuring Railroad Link Wit

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Russia And Region: Moscow Floats Ideas On Ensuring Railroad Link Wit

    RUSSIA AND REGION: MOSCOW FLOATS IDEAS ON ENSURING RAILROAD LINK WITH ARMENIA VIA GEORGIA

    ANALYSIS | 02.03.15 | 10:09

    By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN

    ArmeniaNow correspondent

    Some Russian media in recent days and weeks have been publishing
    analytical forecasts regarding how Russia, by introducing troops
    into Georgia, will try to establish a direct link with Armenia. In
    particular, this is what an article that recently appeared in Lenta.ru,
    a web portal standing close to the Kremlin, says. Many believe this
    article is a sort of "probe" to test the situation.

    The article notes that Russia could take advantage of the problems
    of ethnic minorities in Georgia, in particular, Ossetians and the
    Kabardian peoples to send troops for their "protection" as Russian
    citizens (many of them have received Russian passports) and open a
    land route to Armenia. Many residents of Georgia's Armenian-populated
    region of Javakheti also have Russian passports.

    Several factors show that such a scenario is quit real. Firstly,
    Russia has the experience of "protecting its citizens" in the Crimea,
    Abkhazia, South Ossetia and in Donbass, and Georgia is not the
    most powerful opponent for Russia. Secondly, the current Georgian
    leadership, which is controlled by ex-prime minister, leader of the
    Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili from behind the scenes, is
    openly called proteges of Moscow. Despite the fact that the Georgian
    leadership still cannot overcome the powerful pro-Western public
    opinion, it is obvious that at the right time it may open the way
    for Russia in Georgia.

    Last week saw another meeting at the level of deputy ministers of
    Georgia and Russia in Prague. Zurab Abashidze, who represents Georgia,
    said after the meeting that Georgia is ready for improving relations
    with Russia if the border between the two states is controlled by
    a Swiss company. (The agreement on this was signed in 2009, when
    Georgia agreed to Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization).

    However, the Russian representative, Grigoriy Karasin, said that
    discussed was the issue of opening the Abkhazian railway. The Georgian
    Foreign Ministry denied this information, however, the events in
    Georgia itself indicated that this was likely true.

    Georgia is going to privatize and sell a 25-percent stake in the
    railway, and as the most likely buyer it calls Russia. The Russian
    company, Rosneft, recently bought a majority stake of the port of
    Poti and there are no obstacles to buying the railway, in particular,
    its Abkhazian section.

    In Georgia, this turn of events may cause a new political turmoil,
    because the opening of the road with Abkhazia will require Tbilisi's
    rejection of rights to its former regions. In particular, there
    are already talks about the probability of early elections and
    that Ivanishvili's party may be removed from power. The question is
    whether Ivanishvili will manage to make the deal with Russia before
    the elections.

    In Armenia, the opening of the Abkhazian railway from a purely economic
    point of view is seen as a positive development - it will provide a
    cheap and safe way to Russia. However, from the political point of view
    the opening of the railroad will mark the return of Georgia, and with
    it of the entire South Caucasus, to the borders of the Russian Empire.

    http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/61051/armenia_russia_caucasus_troops_georgia


    From: Baghdasarian
Working...
X