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NATO CHIEF TOURS CAUCASUS WITH KIND WORDS FOR GEORGIA, CRITICISM FOR AZERBAIJAN
by Joshua Kucera
EurasiaNet.org
Sept 7 2012
NY
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on their way to the joint press conference
NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen took a quick trip
through all three south Caucasus countries this week, where he
criticized Azerbaijan's pardon of a soldier who killed an Armenian
while on a joint NATO exercise in Hungary. Rasmussen also voiced
strong support for Georgia's (eventual) alliance membership.
Rasmussen's trip took place at a time of heightened tensions in the
Caucasus, especially between Armenia and Azerbaijan, over the pardon
of Lieutenant -- now Major -- Ramil Safarov. At a speech in Baku, he
pretty strongly condemned the move:
I am deeply concerned by the Azerbaijani decision to pardon Ramil
Safarov. The act he committed in 2004 was a crime which should not be
glorified, as this damages trust and does not contribute to the peace
process.
At a joint press conference with President Ilham Aliyev, Rasmussen was
asked about the issue, and Aliyev answered too, defending the pardon
as in line with the Constitution, which must have been a bit of an
awkward moment.
Rasmussen used identical words at a speech in Yerevan, and they
apparently weren't strong enough for a number of protesters at his
speech.
The reception was warmer in Tbilisi, of course, where President
Mikheil Saakashvili said that Rasmussen deserved to be named an
"honorary Georgian." Rasmussen gave a fairly strong endorsement of the
concept, at least, of Georgian membership in NATO:
Georgia is a special partner for NATO, and model of commitment.... Of
course Georgia wants to be more than an active NATO partner, you want
to become a NATO member and our summit in Bucharest in 2008, and we
decided that Georgia will become a member of NATO. In Chicago, in May
this year, we make clear that we stand by that decision and we
welcomed Georgia~Rs progress. NATO~Rs door is open to countries which
show real and sustained efforts towards reform and integration. You
have set out on a bold reform course and you have made tremendous
progress. That hard work has brought you closer to NATO membership.
Rasmussen was asked about statements by former Russian president
Dmitry Medvedev that the 2008 war had stopped NATO expansion, and
Rasmussen said that wasn't the case:
If the intension of the 2008 conflict was to interfere with NATO
decisions on our open door policy, NATO decisions of enlargement, I
can assure you that it has failed, because no third country has any
right to interfere with NATO decisions, it~Rs for NATO to decide on our
open door policy and we have stated over and over again and
reinterpreted in Chicago that our door remains open. We stick to the
principle that it is for its individual nation to decide its alliance
affiliation itself. And we hope Russia will respect this principle as
well.
However, Rasmussen also emphasized that the conduct of upcoming
elections in Georgia would be closely watched by NATO and other
Western partners, and would be treated as a litmus test for future
cooperation. The notion of a litmus test has become the consensus
Western position, but some visiting U.S. senators said that Georgia
was already ready for a big new step in defense cooperation. Also
visiting this week, Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey
Graham gave their strong support for giving weapons to Georgia,
without mention of a litmus test of successful elections:
~SWe have fought for in the Congress and will continue to fight for
defensive weapons from the United States to Georgia so the government
can defend the people of Georgia and their freedom,~T Senator Joe
Lieberman told journalists in Tbilisi.
~SGeorgia needs defensive weapons and we will continue doing everything
we can to make sure that those defensive weapons are provided to
Georgia, because every nation should have the ability to have
defensive weapons in order to defend themselves,~T Senator John McCain
said.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65883
by Joshua Kucera
EurasiaNet.org
Sept 7 2012
NY
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on their way to the joint press conference
NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen took a quick trip
through all three south Caucasus countries this week, where he
criticized Azerbaijan's pardon of a soldier who killed an Armenian
while on a joint NATO exercise in Hungary. Rasmussen also voiced
strong support for Georgia's (eventual) alliance membership.
Rasmussen's trip took place at a time of heightened tensions in the
Caucasus, especially between Armenia and Azerbaijan, over the pardon
of Lieutenant -- now Major -- Ramil Safarov. At a speech in Baku, he
pretty strongly condemned the move:
I am deeply concerned by the Azerbaijani decision to pardon Ramil
Safarov. The act he committed in 2004 was a crime which should not be
glorified, as this damages trust and does not contribute to the peace
process.
At a joint press conference with President Ilham Aliyev, Rasmussen was
asked about the issue, and Aliyev answered too, defending the pardon
as in line with the Constitution, which must have been a bit of an
awkward moment.
Rasmussen used identical words at a speech in Yerevan, and they
apparently weren't strong enough for a number of protesters at his
speech.
The reception was warmer in Tbilisi, of course, where President
Mikheil Saakashvili said that Rasmussen deserved to be named an
"honorary Georgian." Rasmussen gave a fairly strong endorsement of the
concept, at least, of Georgian membership in NATO:
Georgia is a special partner for NATO, and model of commitment.... Of
course Georgia wants to be more than an active NATO partner, you want
to become a NATO member and our summit in Bucharest in 2008, and we
decided that Georgia will become a member of NATO. In Chicago, in May
this year, we make clear that we stand by that decision and we
welcomed Georgia~Rs progress. NATO~Rs door is open to countries which
show real and sustained efforts towards reform and integration. You
have set out on a bold reform course and you have made tremendous
progress. That hard work has brought you closer to NATO membership.
Rasmussen was asked about statements by former Russian president
Dmitry Medvedev that the 2008 war had stopped NATO expansion, and
Rasmussen said that wasn't the case:
If the intension of the 2008 conflict was to interfere with NATO
decisions on our open door policy, NATO decisions of enlargement, I
can assure you that it has failed, because no third country has any
right to interfere with NATO decisions, it~Rs for NATO to decide on our
open door policy and we have stated over and over again and
reinterpreted in Chicago that our door remains open. We stick to the
principle that it is for its individual nation to decide its alliance
affiliation itself. And we hope Russia will respect this principle as
well.
However, Rasmussen also emphasized that the conduct of upcoming
elections in Georgia would be closely watched by NATO and other
Western partners, and would be treated as a litmus test for future
cooperation. The notion of a litmus test has become the consensus
Western position, but some visiting U.S. senators said that Georgia
was already ready for a big new step in defense cooperation. Also
visiting this week, Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey
Graham gave their strong support for giving weapons to Georgia,
without mention of a litmus test of successful elections:
~SWe have fought for in the Congress and will continue to fight for
defensive weapons from the United States to Georgia so the government
can defend the people of Georgia and their freedom,~T Senator Joe
Lieberman told journalists in Tbilisi.
~SGeorgia needs defensive weapons and we will continue doing everything
we can to make sure that those defensive weapons are provided to
Georgia, because every nation should have the ability to have
defensive weapons in order to defend themselves,~T Senator John McCain
said.
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65883