Tweet
PUTIN POSTURING IN YEREVAN SPARKS GEORGIAN CONCERN
Georgia Today, Georgia
Dec 5 2013
Print version
The visit of the Russian President to Armenia turned into a very
important event. Despite the fact that it was somewhat overshadowed
by Ukraine's revolutionary tempest, Vladimer Putin's statement made
in Yerevan can be considered one of the major geopolitical messages
of the year. It was particularly notable as it came just days after
the Vilnius summit when the Euro-integration processes in the South
Caucasus started to slowdown.
"As for the South Caucasus, we never planned to leave the region.
Russia's positions here will be strengthened," this is the promise
Putin made to his Armenian counterpart in Yerevan.
Putin issued a similar statement before, during the August war five
years ago, "For centuries Russia has been playing a positive and
stabilizing role in the Caucasus. Russia was the guarantor of security,
development, cooperation, prosperity and progress in the region. This
is how it was in the past and this is how it will be in the future".
There is almost nothing new in the statements of the then prime
minister and the current president of Russia. President Putin is
openly and categorically telling everyone that Russia will not leave,
regardless of the region's states' desires.
Taking into consideration the fact that Armenia has already rejected
its European opportunity and is joining the Customs Union and
Azerbaijan is not interested in the tax free trade relations with
Europe, Georgia and its European allies are clearly the intended
recipients of Putin's message.
President Putin arrived in Yerevan with Armenia's Russian influence
abundantly clear. Gazprom built the 480 megawatt thermo electric power
station close to the Russian military base of Gyumri, costing Russia
almost $350 million. Armenia also proved to be the first country to
which Russia will provide gas at their internal tariff, i.e. 1 cubic
meter for $189. Moscow also abolished the 35 per cent customs tariff
on oil products for Armenia and will provide military vehicles and
equipment to its South Caucasian ally at internal Russian prices.
According to President Putin, he knows the value of these costs.
"Although the Russian budget will not receive a solid amount of income,
it is necessary for the normal functioning of Armenia's economy so
that Armenia joins the Customs Union in a quick and smooth manner,"
the Russian President said before leaving Yerevan.
It appears that this friendship with Yerevan and President Serzh
Sargsyan's agreement to join the Customs Union came at a considerable
cost for Russia. Yerevan did not expect such gifts.
At the beginning of 2013, things were different and Yerevan had
other priorities: during the whole period when Moscow tried to put
pressure on Yerevan, the latter officially only asked for the opening
of communication lines between Armenia and Russia in exchange for
Armenia's entrance into the Customs Union; in particular, restoration
of the railway route to carry Armenian cargo to and from Russia,
and vice versa.
This issue arose for Armenia's Security Council Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan when at the beginning of the year he started speaking
about the restoration of the railway route between Georgia and Russia.
The Vilnius summit was a certain deadline when it should have become
clear through which tools Moscow would manage to link Armenia to the
Customs Union.
So far this Gordian knot remains unsolved for Armenia. The Kremlin's
strategic partner in the South Caucasus remains in a railway blockade:
the railway lines of Azerbaijan and Georgia are blocked, not to
mention Turkey with whom Armenia still has no diplomatic relations.
Thus, Yerevan rejected Europe but received only a promise in return.
Putin has not specified how and through which ways Moscow should
provide cheap tanks and cheap petrol to Yerevan.
President Putin's visit to Armenia proved once again that the
deadline of the Vilnius summit put serious pressure on Russia to act
in the post-Soviet space. Accordingly, it may try to break through
in a place where it traditionally had its biggest success during the
entire post-Soviet period, Georgia; especially when the railway route
facilitating Armenia's role in the Customs Union, according to the
Russian plan, should cross Georgia.
By Zaza Jgharkava
5.12.2013
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=11723
Georgia Today, Georgia
Dec 5 2013
Print version
The visit of the Russian President to Armenia turned into a very
important event. Despite the fact that it was somewhat overshadowed
by Ukraine's revolutionary tempest, Vladimer Putin's statement made
in Yerevan can be considered one of the major geopolitical messages
of the year. It was particularly notable as it came just days after
the Vilnius summit when the Euro-integration processes in the South
Caucasus started to slowdown.
"As for the South Caucasus, we never planned to leave the region.
Russia's positions here will be strengthened," this is the promise
Putin made to his Armenian counterpart in Yerevan.
Putin issued a similar statement before, during the August war five
years ago, "For centuries Russia has been playing a positive and
stabilizing role in the Caucasus. Russia was the guarantor of security,
development, cooperation, prosperity and progress in the region. This
is how it was in the past and this is how it will be in the future".
There is almost nothing new in the statements of the then prime
minister and the current president of Russia. President Putin is
openly and categorically telling everyone that Russia will not leave,
regardless of the region's states' desires.
Taking into consideration the fact that Armenia has already rejected
its European opportunity and is joining the Customs Union and
Azerbaijan is not interested in the tax free trade relations with
Europe, Georgia and its European allies are clearly the intended
recipients of Putin's message.
President Putin arrived in Yerevan with Armenia's Russian influence
abundantly clear. Gazprom built the 480 megawatt thermo electric power
station close to the Russian military base of Gyumri, costing Russia
almost $350 million. Armenia also proved to be the first country to
which Russia will provide gas at their internal tariff, i.e. 1 cubic
meter for $189. Moscow also abolished the 35 per cent customs tariff
on oil products for Armenia and will provide military vehicles and
equipment to its South Caucasian ally at internal Russian prices.
According to President Putin, he knows the value of these costs.
"Although the Russian budget will not receive a solid amount of income,
it is necessary for the normal functioning of Armenia's economy so
that Armenia joins the Customs Union in a quick and smooth manner,"
the Russian President said before leaving Yerevan.
It appears that this friendship with Yerevan and President Serzh
Sargsyan's agreement to join the Customs Union came at a considerable
cost for Russia. Yerevan did not expect such gifts.
At the beginning of 2013, things were different and Yerevan had
other priorities: during the whole period when Moscow tried to put
pressure on Yerevan, the latter officially only asked for the opening
of communication lines between Armenia and Russia in exchange for
Armenia's entrance into the Customs Union; in particular, restoration
of the railway route to carry Armenian cargo to and from Russia,
and vice versa.
This issue arose for Armenia's Security Council Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan when at the beginning of the year he started speaking
about the restoration of the railway route between Georgia and Russia.
The Vilnius summit was a certain deadline when it should have become
clear through which tools Moscow would manage to link Armenia to the
Customs Union.
So far this Gordian knot remains unsolved for Armenia. The Kremlin's
strategic partner in the South Caucasus remains in a railway blockade:
the railway lines of Azerbaijan and Georgia are blocked, not to
mention Turkey with whom Armenia still has no diplomatic relations.
Thus, Yerevan rejected Europe but received only a promise in return.
Putin has not specified how and through which ways Moscow should
provide cheap tanks and cheap petrol to Yerevan.
President Putin's visit to Armenia proved once again that the
deadline of the Vilnius summit put serious pressure on Russia to act
in the post-Soviet space. Accordingly, it may try to break through
in a place where it traditionally had its biggest success during the
entire post-Soviet period, Georgia; especially when the railway route
facilitating Armenia's role in the Customs Union, according to the
Russian plan, should cross Georgia.
By Zaza Jgharkava
5.12.2013
http://www.georgiatoday.ge/article_details.php?id=11723