Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

BAKU: Arif Yunusov: "Invitation of Georgia to NATO on the threshold

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • BAKU: Arif Yunusov: "Invitation of Georgia to NATO on the threshold

    Arif Yunusov: "Invitation of Georgia to NATO on the threshold of G8 summit is a blunt challenge to Russia"

    Today, Azerbaijan
    July 10 2006

    11 July 2006 [03:15] - Today.Az

    Regnum's interview with Arif Yunusov, political analyst, head of
    Conflictology and Migration Department, Institute for Peace and
    Democracy, Azerbaijan.

    In what formulation the Karabakh problem will be presented at the
    G8 summit in St. Petersburg (most probably, on the sidelines of
    the summit)?

    I suppose, the Karabakh problem will not occupy any significant
    place in discussions at the St. Petersburg summit. Most probably,
    the Karabakh problem will be somehow discussed on the sidelines of
    debates between Russia and the USA. However, it will be in context of
    settlement of other conflicts. In other words, the top priority at the
    summit will be discussion of Kosovo. In its turn, Russia would raise
    the issue of necessity of a universal approach to all the conflicts,
    and in this aspect, probably, a discussion will be held on Abkhazia,
    South Ossetia and Karabakh; if the Karabakh problem is to be reflected
    in the documents officially, it will be only in the form of supporting
    position of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs conveyed on June 22. But
    separately the Karabakh problem will not be discussed at the summit.

    What is Russia's mission and role in settling this problem?

    Concerning the Karabakh issue, Russia's role is significant indeed.

    It is another matter, how strongly it aspires for using its
    opportunities. Until now Russia has been taking a hesitating
    position, giving the initiative to the US. And. I suppose, the Russian
    authorities will not be distressed, if what at the current stage is
    named as the Prague Process ends up with another failure.

    Will Russia, which itself has faced separatism in Chechnya in its case,
    insist upon universal nature of the Kosovo precedent?

    Of course, Russia would insist upon universal character of the Kosovo
    precedent. Essentially, both Russian authorities of various levels
    and many representatives of the political elite have repeatedly
    talked about it. At the same time, Chechen separatism will play no
    special role for the Russian authorities. The Chechen separatism
    did not hinder Russia from playing a negative role in the conflicts
    in Azerbaijan (Karabakh), Georgia (Abkhazia and South Ossetia) and
    Moldova (Transdnestr). It is exactly the case, when one should speak
    of double standards.

    What aims will the group of Western countries pursue and are there
    any objective grounds for possible criticism of the Russian policy?

    The G8 summit in St. Petersburg can become very important for Russia
    and the whole world too. It is not a secret any more that relations
    between Russia and the West have started worsening considerably
    recently. After more than ten years of talking about Russia's
    "integration" with the West and "strategic partnership" between Moscow
    and Washington, today officials from the USA and Western Europe express
    their concern publicly concerning internal political situation in
    Russia and its relations with republics of the former USSR. And
    Russia's making advances to China and Iran stir serious alert and
    the question, what to do with Putin Russia. At first, criticism
    towards Russia was made through Western mass media. And on May 4,
    US Vice President Dick Cheney directly accused the Kremlin in "unfair
    infringement upon civil rights" and use the country's energy resources
    as "instruments of intimidation and blackmail". And recent almost
    demonstratively pompous reception by George Bush to Georgian President
    Mikhail Saakashvili and proposal to join NATO on the threshold of the
    summit are just a blunt challenge to Russia. This way, it is shown
    that the period of the carrot policy towards Russia has failed and now
    a stage of stick has been started. Of course, at the summit, first of
    all, the issue is to be considered of Russia's using energy resources
    for exerting political pressure and blackmail of the former Soviet
    republics. There will be also criticism of Russia's policy towards
    former USSR countries, as well as in the East. In a lesser extent,
    a question about reduction of democratic processes in Russia itself.

    In many expects, this criticism will be of undoubtedly objective
    character. However, the matter is, that policy of leading Western
    countries has also dual nature, and just like Russia, the USA connives
    at actions of authoritarian leaders if they have energy resources
    and agree to support policy of the West. It will let Putin rebut the
    criticism. On the other hand, the West should comprehend: Russia for
    many reasons cannot be fully pro-Western or anti-Western.

    It is an internal Russia's problem, and its tragedy and strength
    simultaneously. So, the West should take Russia as it is, but not
    live in the world of illusions and believe that Russia has a chance
    to become a part of the Wet. In his turn, Putin will try to turn
    the summit into a large-scale propagandist show in order to prove
    that Russia has regenerated, become a superpower again, although a
    democratic one and with free market economy.

    What can Azerbaijan expect from the summit in terms of securing
    energy safety?

    To a known extent Azerbaijan can gain profit from the summit. Because
    one of the most acute discussions will be the problem of energy
    security of Western countries and their fear that a new Russia, as
    they believe, has assumed the policy of effective use of weapons in
    foreign policy. In this connection, not so important in scale of Russia
    and Arab countries energy resources of Azerbaijan can be partly an
    alternative for Georgia, Ukraine, Poland and some other countries. I
    suppose, in this issue the West will pay even more attention to
    the problem of safe supply of Azerbaijani energy resources and
    strengthening its influence in this country. But Russia would hardly
    agree with such developments, and that means that geopolitical life
    at South Caucasus will only increase.

    URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/28043.html
Working...
X