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BAKU: Georgia: Azerbaijan is an ally, and Armenia is a partner

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  • BAKU: Georgia: Azerbaijan is an ally, and Armenia is a partner

    MilAz.info, Azerbaijan
    Jan 3 2012


    Georgia: Azerbaijan is an ally, and Armenia is a partner


    16:37 03-01-2012
    On December 23, 2011 the parliament of Georgia adopted a new national
    security concept to replace a similar conception, approved in 2005.
    The main reason for the change of the doctrine was the
    Russian-Georgian war in 2008.


    Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, addressing on July 28, 2010 in
    the Ministry of National Defense, said that under the increasing
    danger it became necessary to develop a new security concept. "If the
    enemy again attacks us, then every inch of land under their feet
    should burn," said Saakashvili, stressing that the Georgian army must
    be ready not only to carry out its peacekeeping mission, but also to
    military defensive actions.

    In the concept of 2005 among main threats to Georgia were called the
    violation of its territorial integrity, destabilizing conflicts
    between neighboring countries, military intervention and international
    terrorism. In the document "Foreign Policy Priorities" Georgia ranged
    its strategic partners in such order: USA, Ukraine, Turkey and
    Azerbaijan. In the Armenia was called a regular partner. In other
    words, the document adopted in 2005 stressed that the importance of
    Azerbaijan to Georgia is one step higher than Armenia's significance.
    That document stated: "A joint energy projects with Azerbaijan,
    transport and communication projects raises this country to the level
    of strategic partner of Georgia. And Armenia and Georgia are tied by
    bonds of pragmatic cooperation in all areas." In the concept of 2005
    the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was considered as a major threat to
    regional stability.

    Such assessment of Azerbaijan and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in
    Georgia's National Security Concept was founded. Thank to energy
    projects and pipelines in Azerbaijan, Georgia's financial resources
    and geopolitical weight have increased; even for the construction of
    the Baku-Tbilisi-Cars railway, Azerbaijan considered it necessary to
    allocate for Georgia $200 million loan with low interest rates. But
    cooperation with Armenia brings nor political, nor economic dividends
    to Georgia. On the contrary, Tbilisi has to constantly think about the
    neutralization of the separatist claims of the Armenians living in
    Georgia; nationalist circles in Armenia continue to provide full
    support to this separatism. There are not such problems with
    Azerbaijanis living in Georgia. As for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
    as the main threat to regional stability, in case of a resumption of
    the war one of the victims of Armenia can become Georgia: the
    construction of pipelines through its territory can create problems
    for the security of this part of Georgia. Moreover, the war between
    Azerbaijan and Armenia will aggravate the relations between the
    Azeri's and Armenians densely living in Georgia.

    The new concept of Georgia's national security has been changed
    dramatically only in respect of relations with Russia. The document
    stresses that after the seizure of Abkhazia and South Sestina by
    Russia, it is considered the main enemy of Georgia, and the main
    threat to the country is connected with Moscow"s policy. The previous
    concept did not have appointed on the possibility of Russian attacks
    on Georgian territory, but such appoint was included into the new one:
    it reads clearly that the Kremlin is interested in weakening and
    disintegration of the state of Georgia.



    A serious supplement was made in connection with the Karabakh
    conflict, `the consequences of the war will be difficult for each of
    the three South Caucasus countries, and Russia will increase its
    influence in the region." That is, the war will create conditions for
    Russia to launch a mechanism of weakening of Azerbaijan.

    The question about the role of Armenia in the new concept was
    discussed for a long time in the upper echelons of Georgia, but the
    approach remains the same: a country which is a military strategic
    ally of Russia, can not be a strategic ally , or strategic partner of
    Georgia.

    As a result, in a new concept Azerbaijan, as before, is called a
    strategic ally, Armenia is just a partner, and the Nagorno-Karabakh
    conflict is the most dangerous problem in the region.

    Source: Turan Analytical Service

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