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TBILISI: Saakashvili Promotes "United Caucasus" Concept To Sargsyan

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  • TBILISI: Saakashvili Promotes "United Caucasus" Concept To Sargsyan

    SAAKASHVILI PROMOTES "UNITED CAUCASUS" CONCEPT TO SARGSYAN IN TBILISI
    By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

    The Messenger
    Nov 30 2011
    Georgia

    After misunderstandings regarding Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's
    visit to Georgia,he finally paid an official visit on November 29. On
    the first day of his arrival, he met with Georgian counterpart, Mikheil
    Saakashvili, and they talked about the two countries' relations and
    future perspectives. During the meeting Saakashvili revealed that the
    concept of a "United Caucasus" is still very real for him and in the
    frame of deepening relations border crossing rules between Georgia
    and Armenia would be simplified.

    As the Georgian president mentioned, Georgian-Armenian relations
    have never been so positive as now, and such successful relations and
    collaboration are based on "personal merit." One of the main messages
    delivered by Saakashvili was the issue of a United Caucasus. "Our
    concept is of course based on the United Caucasus concept. I am sure
    that all the conflicts in the Caucasus are imposed by an imperial
    force whose major principle is divide and rule," Saakashvili said.

    He has also mentioned that it is in the interests of all the peoples
    and states of the Caucasus to have a united Caucasus, a united economic
    space of the Caucasus and even a united political commonwealth in
    prospect. Saakashvili maintains that the idea will come true. "It will
    definitely be implemented. There is no alternative for our people,
    for our small countries," added Saakashvili. "I am sure the conflicts,
    which were artificially imposed on our countries, will be resolved
    sooner or later - I think much sooner than anyone can imagine. We
    will manage to find a more common language and to integrate into the
    European space faster, if there is less interference from outside."

    At the same time, Saakashvili believes that very soon the
    Georgian-Armenian border would be as transparent "as the one of
    Switzerland-France". As Saakashvili mentioned, citizens of the two
    states would be checked at only one checkpoint, only one time and
    without getting out of their cars.

    The Armenian president did not comment on the idea of a United
    Caucasus, however he highlighted the importance of the two states
    friendly relations. "Our visits are the confirmation of the high-level
    relations between our countries and these relations have particularly
    intensified this year. I agree with the president that the cooperation
    should be enhanced in the spheres of economics, defense and security.

    We work in various areas, including the energy sector. Our goal is
    to provide proper security for the Armenian and Georgian nations,"
    the Armenian president announced.

    He also mentioned that there were "two or three very important issues
    between the states, which progressed this year," and Sargysian thanked
    Saakashvili for this. However, he did not specify which those three
    issues are.

    Four new memorandums on collaboration between different state
    structures have been signed between the states after the first day
    of the visit.

    It was not the first time that Saakashvili has mentioned the United
    Caucasus idea. It has already got different responses in the Georgian
    political field. The government assess the president's initiative
    "as strategically extremely important," whereas the opposition called
    it unrealistic.

    As analyst Soso Tsiskarishvili told The Messenger, Georgian-Armenian
    relations are "predestined" for friendly contact. As he believes,
    this is due to problems in the Caucasus region and growing interest
    towards the region from the states of Europe and the US. As the analyst
    mentioned, Georgia should be extremely provident towards relations
    between the neighboring states and should maintain neutrality. "The
    Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict creates a negative influence on
    Georgian-Armenian relations. It's more than 20 years since Armenia
    and Georgia signed any international level document where the words
    territorial integrity were mentioned." The analyst also stated that
    currently Georgia uses balancing politics rather than neutrality,
    trying to please both Armenia and Azerbaijan and forgets that,
    "people hold a grudge longer than they do kindness."

    Tsiskarishvili also expressed regret that unlike the European Union,
    the South Caucasus states do not have a strict neighborhood policy,
    based on a definite conception adopted on the needs of the states'
    citizens. As for the idea of a United Caucasus, the analyst called it a
    "myth" while there is a hostile attitude towards the idea within the
    Caucasus and further afield.

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