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ONE DAY ARMENIA WILL HAVE TO
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/politics26860.html
Published: 12:45:21 - 16/07/2012
On July 14, the Georgian foreign minister Grigol Vashadze arrived in
Armenia for a working visit at the invitation of the Armenian minister
of foreign affairs.
The visit of the Georgian minister did not receive much attention in
Armenia. What is the reason? The weekend or the conditional that if
the country is not famous or a global actor, then no one cares for
the visit of the foreign minister of that country.
Meanwhile, Georgia is a country of strategic importance for Armenia,
especially taking into account the Armenian-Georgian issues and
disagreements. Moreover, the visit takes place amid interesting
regional developments.
Being neighbors and having Javakhk as an important region in terms
of influence on our relations, Armenia and Georgia should be specific
and clear toward each other, avoiding double games or double standards.
Both countries state they have no issues that couldn't be solved
through negotiations. This is a statement that does not tell anything
because it proves the mutable relations between Armenia and Georgia
when stability and strategic predictability are on a very low level.
The feeling is that in their interaction both countries keep in mind
a third, fourth or even fifth country.
Georgia is never present on the political agenda of Armenia. For
example, there can be important positions on the Armenian-Turkish,
Armenian-Russian, Armenian-Iranian, Armenian-U.S. relations but the
Armenian-Georgian relations never appear on the foreign political
agenda in conceptual terms.
Not because everything is fine but because the political class of
Armenia forms its agenda on the basis of the national interests of
Armenia and its responsibility for the national interests but out
of conventionalities, cliches, and the provincial urge not to stay
behind the geopolitical fashion.
The same is for Georgia. But it is not important for Armenia what
moods there are in Georgia. However, Armenia could dictate a relevant
behavior to Georgia by changing its own attitude.
It seems that there is some mutual inner prompting or even agreement
to keep the Armenian-Georgian relations far from the public not to
be affected or manipulated.
But this is not a good tactics of defense because the possibilities
of the modern policy and information technologies enable learning
even the most backstage realities, and in this case the chances and
risks of manipulation increase.
Meanwhile, Armenia and Georgia have a number of issues to address,
permanent issues. Anyway, Armenia needs to be in this process and deal
with the Armenia-Georgia issues starting from the issues of Javakhk
and finishing with the whole package of the Georgian-Armenian issues
of organizational, social, cultural and regional character.
Georgia has no alternative to supporting Armenia or to maneuver under
the illusion of transit territory becoming a Turkish-Azerbaijani
"plot of land" which will sooner or later be rented by Russia.
It is meaningless of Georgia to rely on the West because the main
regional axis for the West is Armenia, while Georgia is a backup
option. The past 7-8 years have proved that it is ineffective to
solve issues without the main axis.
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/politics26860.html
Published: 12:45:21 - 16/07/2012
On July 14, the Georgian foreign minister Grigol Vashadze arrived in
Armenia for a working visit at the invitation of the Armenian minister
of foreign affairs.
The visit of the Georgian minister did not receive much attention in
Armenia. What is the reason? The weekend or the conditional that if
the country is not famous or a global actor, then no one cares for
the visit of the foreign minister of that country.
Meanwhile, Georgia is a country of strategic importance for Armenia,
especially taking into account the Armenian-Georgian issues and
disagreements. Moreover, the visit takes place amid interesting
regional developments.
Being neighbors and having Javakhk as an important region in terms
of influence on our relations, Armenia and Georgia should be specific
and clear toward each other, avoiding double games or double standards.
Both countries state they have no issues that couldn't be solved
through negotiations. This is a statement that does not tell anything
because it proves the mutable relations between Armenia and Georgia
when stability and strategic predictability are on a very low level.
The feeling is that in their interaction both countries keep in mind
a third, fourth or even fifth country.
Georgia is never present on the political agenda of Armenia. For
example, there can be important positions on the Armenian-Turkish,
Armenian-Russian, Armenian-Iranian, Armenian-U.S. relations but the
Armenian-Georgian relations never appear on the foreign political
agenda in conceptual terms.
Not because everything is fine but because the political class of
Armenia forms its agenda on the basis of the national interests of
Armenia and its responsibility for the national interests but out
of conventionalities, cliches, and the provincial urge not to stay
behind the geopolitical fashion.
The same is for Georgia. But it is not important for Armenia what
moods there are in Georgia. However, Armenia could dictate a relevant
behavior to Georgia by changing its own attitude.
It seems that there is some mutual inner prompting or even agreement
to keep the Armenian-Georgian relations far from the public not to
be affected or manipulated.
But this is not a good tactics of defense because the possibilities
of the modern policy and information technologies enable learning
even the most backstage realities, and in this case the chances and
risks of manipulation increase.
Meanwhile, Armenia and Georgia have a number of issues to address,
permanent issues. Anyway, Armenia needs to be in this process and deal
with the Armenia-Georgia issues starting from the issues of Javakhk
and finishing with the whole package of the Georgian-Armenian issues
of organizational, social, cultural and regional character.
Georgia has no alternative to supporting Armenia or to maneuver under
the illusion of transit territory becoming a Turkish-Azerbaijani
"plot of land" which will sooner or later be rented by Russia.
It is meaningless of Georgia to rely on the West because the main
regional axis for the West is Armenia, while Georgia is a backup
option. The past 7-8 years have proved that it is ineffective to
solve issues without the main axis.