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BAKU: Baku Will Demand An Explanation From Tbilisi For `Scandalous A

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  • BAKU: Baku Will Demand An Explanation From Tbilisi For `Scandalous A

    BAKU WILL DEMAND AN EXPLANATION FROM TBILISI FOR `SCANDALOUS AGREEMENT'
    by Casur Sumarinli

    Ayna
    Nov 15 2008
    Azerbaijan

    The Tbilisi agreement between the Armenian and Georgian defence
    ministers runs against security interests of Azerbaijan

    The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry may ask official Tbilisi to comment
    on an agreement reached at a meeting between the Armenian and Georgian
    defence ministers in Tbilisi, Ayna has learnt from a source at the
    Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. As of now, such a document is being
    drafted and the public will soon be informed to this end, the source
    said. On 12 November, Georgian Defence Minister Davit Kezerashvili had
    a meeting with Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan in Tbilisi. At
    a briefing for the media at the end of the meeting, Davit Kezerashvili
    said that cooperation in the defence sphere between Georgia and
    Armenia had deepened. [Passage omitted: Reference to the Tbilisi
    meeting between the Georgian and Armenian defence bosses]

    Official Baku to ask Tbilisi three questions

    Official Baku has three questions to ask in connection with the meeting
    between the Georgian and Armenian defence ministers, Ayna has learnt.

    - What is behind the agreement enabling Armenia to use the Georgian
    territory as transit and what does this agreement serve against the
    backdrop of the strategic alliance between Tbilisi and Baku?

    - To what extent are reports true that armoured hardware in the
    arsenal of the Armenian armed forces would be repaired and upgraded
    at the Tbilisi tank repairs plant?

    - How reliable is a statement by the Armenian defence minister that
    not a second military base is being built in his country? What were
    Ohanyan's arguments?

    A correspondent of Ayna failed to elaborate this report with Xazar
    Ibrahim, the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. X. Ibrahim
    said he was unaware of details of the meeting between Kezerashvili
    and Ohanyan.

    Actually, from time to time, there were reports that military armoured
    hardware of Armenia and the Karabakh separatists was repaired at the
    Tbilisi tank plant. And exactly such facts chilled to a certain extent
    the relations between Baku and Tbilisi in early 2000.

    The plant was transferred to the property of the Georgian Defence
    Ministry in February 2005. Prior to this, the Tbilisi-based plant
    was at the disposal of the Russian troops in the South Caucasus. In
    2004-2005, Georgia and the command of the groups of troops in
    question proposed their services for repairs of Azerbaijani armoured
    hardware. However, at that time, Baku turned down the proposal due
    to services of the plant to hostile Yerevan.

    According to reports, the issue in question was discussed by military
    experts of the two countries in 2006-2007, and as a result, Baku
    and Tbilisi managed to find a common language. Baku said it does
    not want the plant to repair Armenian tanks, in its turn, official
    Tbilisi said it was ready to refuse from repairing Armenian tanks
    under certain conditions. However, it was not made public what those
    conditions were. The issue was also discussed at a meeting between
    Kezerashvili and his Azerbaijani counterpart Safar Abiyev in July 2007
    in Baku. However, later it was said that Baku turned down Tbilisi's
    proposal at all. Reports coming in at that time said that Azerbaijan
    rely on its military industrial complex in this issue.

    Georgian-Armenian military ties run against Azerbaijan

    We should say that the Tbilisi tank repair plant has been upgraded
    with the support of NATO. Exactly, this aspect drew the attention of
    the Armenian general. Official Yerevan considers that the repair of
    armoured hardware in the arsenal of the Armenian army in Tbilisi are
    very advantageous for the Armenian side in terms of finance and time
    limit. In its turn, Georgia does not want to lose a customer like
    Armenia, obviously, though this is against Azerbaijan's security
    interests and the existing strategic allied relations between the
    two countries.

    In an interview with a correspondent of Ayna, the military expert,
    retired Lt-Col Uzeyir Cafarov, has described the agreement achieved
    in Tbilisi as "more advantageous for Armenia". The expert believes
    that from now on, the Armenian side will try to benefit from the
    military agreement with Georgia.

    The expert believes that the repair of armoured hardware in the arsenal
    of the Armenian army at the Tbilisi tank repair plant is obvious:
    "If not for 100 per cent, then a considerable amount of the Armenian
    tanks will be repaired in Tbilisi. However, no doubt that Russia
    would try to have own benefit from this deal and not let a customer
    like Armenia to go."

    As for an agreement to use the Georgian territory as a transit,
    Cafarov said that actually, this should be treated as normal from the
    point of view of relations between the two countries but Azerbaijan
    should also know who her friends are.

    Russia, Armenia exert pressure on Georgia, expert

    "Sometimes, we should remind Georgia what and who it depends on some
    issues. If Azerbaijan supplies this country with oil and gas, then
    Tbilisi has to weigh up its steps it took or would take with regard to
    Yerevan. However, obviously, official Tbilisi has chosen another way. I
    have difficulties in understanding the latest steps of the Georgian
    authorities," said Cafarov. He believes there is an acute need for
    Baku to have serious discussions with Georgia on the issue in question.

    Another expert, whom Ayna asked for his opinion, said that the reason
    behind Armenia's intention to use Georgian territory as transit is
    obvious. It is an open secret that Ohanyan wants to hand weapons and
    military hardware, to be procured from Russia, over to the arsenal
    of the Armenian army via Georgia. And it is beyond doubt that a
    considerable part of the procured weapons and military hardware will
    be given to the Armenian troops stationed in the occupied Azerbaijani
    territories.

    We should say that several Georgian political experts have
    already said that the agreement between Tbilisi and Yerevan
    will irritate Azerbaijan. For instance, political expert Malkhaz
    Matsaberidze said that the achievement of the agreement on "weapons
    transit" is the result of the Russian and Armenian pressures on
    Georgia. "Otherwise, there might emerge extra problems in a number
    of regions of Georgia. Deadlocked, Georgia has no other way out,"
    Malkhaz Matsaberidze said, adding that this agreement would irritate
    Azerbaijan. However, he hopes that official Tbilisi would manage to
    persuade official Baku that there was no other way out.

    In an interview with Zerkalo, Georgian deputy ambassador to Azerbaijan
    Nikolo Gogitidze touched upon points of interests. He said that
    Armenia-bound cargoes have been carried through Georgian territory
    since 1994.

    As for military cargoes, the diplomat said that if Armenia purchases
    tanks from Ukraine, then these cargoes are delivered to the Georgian
    port of Poti and are sent further to this country by train. "There are
    no other routes. The borders between Turkey and Armenia are closed,"
    the deputy ambassador said, adding that no weapons can be transferred
    to Armenia from Russia through Georgia.

    "Russia is an occupying country and is now occupying Georgian lands. I
    would relinquish my diplomatic credentials if this was otherwise. This
    is my position as a citizen and a diplomat," he said.

    The Georgian diplomat pledged to further comment on the issue after
    consulting his country's Foreign Ministry. As it seems, obviously,
    the issue is more complicated. The Georgian diplomat to Azerbaijan has
    openly stated that Armenia's weapons and military hardware procured
    from Ukraine are delivered to Armenia through his [Georgian] territory.

    In its turn, Ukraine and Azerbaijan are strategic allies in the GUAM
    [regional alliance of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Georgia]. Baku
    and Kiev have comprehensive economic, political and military relations
    and the two countries have always supported each other at international
    organizations, especially, on the issue of "frozen conflicts".

    Given this, how can we understand that the two member countries of
    the GUAM Ukraine and Georgia help Armenia in its efforts to arm its
    army? For sure, this should be one of the important questions for
    official Baku...[ellipses as published]

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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