Azeri opposition paper says Russia and the West behind Georgian events

Azadliq, Baku
17 Mar 04 p 4

An Azerbaijani opposition daily has said that the stand-off between
Georgia and its autonomous province of Ajaria is a local row with
international repercussions. “This incident is not a conflict between
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Aslan Abashidze, but a
result of contradictions between the West and Russia,” Azadliq
said. The paper added that Russia has a military base in the province
and backs Abashidze, while the USA, wants Russia to withdraw its bases
from Georgia because it worries that instability in Georgia will
jeopardize a multi-billion-dollar oil pipeline project from Baku to
Ceyhan via Tbilisi. It also accused government-controlled media of
covering the Georgian-Ajaria row “one-sidedly” in favour of the
province and not covering Georgia’s stance “sufficiently”. “If
Azerbaijan shows support for the Abashidze regime, which is being
ruled from Moscow, through official media and TV channels, that would
mean Azerbaijan’s position is similar to that of Russia and Armenia,
but not that of the West,” it said. The following is the text of
Bahaddin Haziyev’s report by the Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 17
March headlined “Support for Ajaria’s Gukasyan?”, subheaded “The
Georgian events and Azerbaijan: questions and attempts to answer”;
subheadings are as published:

First question

Is our society informed well enough and impartially about the Georgian
events?

All government-controlled media outlets, including TV channels, are
covering these events one-sidedly. They are mainly casting light on
the position of Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze and his supporters,
while the Georgian government’s position is not being sufficiently
covered. In addition, Tbilisi is being criticized continuously and
severely. That is why Azerbaijani society is by and large unaware of
the real situation.

Second question

Azerbaijan had always and unequivocally supported the Georgian
government’s position on Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But why is Baku
taking a different position now?

First, let us look at the legal aspect of the issue. Azerbaijan sticks
to i nternational legal principles such as territorial integrity and
sovereignty of countries (and fairly supports Georgia’s territorial
integrity and sovereignty).

Second, there is the political side to the issue as well. [Former
President Eduard] Shevardnadze headed Georgia and therefore, the
ruling family in Baku supported its Georgian friend, brother and
partner. Shevardnadze left, but his smaller prototype Abashidze is
still here. The Azerbaijani government has not issued an official
statement in support of Abashidze. But it has not also recognized
openly Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Azerbaijan
should have unambiguously supported Georgia’s territorial integrity
and sovereignty irrespective of who the Georgian president is and
should have expressed an appropriate attitude to separatism.

Third question

Is this position on Georgia in the interests of Azerbaijan?

It is not. In this case, the principles of international law and the
Azerbaijani government’s political interests do not coincide. In many
cases, the interests of the Azerbaijani state and government
fundamentally differ. The Azerbaijani government adheres only to its
own interests when these differences appear. There is a threat now
that the Azerbaijani government might choose its interests over the
interests of the state.

Fourth question

What are the political interests of the Azerbaijani government on this
issue? What is the link between the Aliyev’s and Abashidze.

First, there is an internal factor. The democrats won in Georgia. The
former communist nomenclature in Azerbaijan retained its power by
pushing [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev forward. The system which
Abashidze established in Ajaria is a smaller replica of the Aliyev
regime in Azerbaijan. Ajaria’s involvement in the process of
democratization turns Georgia into an example to Azerbaijan in its
domestic policies.

Second, there is a geopolitical factor. This incident is not a
conflict between [Georgian President Mikheil] Saakashvili and
Abashidze, but a result of contradictions between the West and
Russia. The West, especially the USA, wants Russia to withdraw its
bases from Georgia. One such base is in Ajaria and another in
Javakheti which is closely populated by Armenians. For this reason,
Russia puts the Javakhk Armenians against the Georgian central
government to make Tbilisi give up its demands that the Russian troops
be withdrawn. If Azerbaijan shows support for the Abashidze regime,
which is being ruled from Moscow, through official media and TV
channels, that would mean Azerbaijan’s position is similar to that of
Russia and Armenia, but not that of the West.

Third, the Azerbaijani ruling family and Abashidze have joint business
interests in the port of Batumi and of course, officials in Baku are
not interested in the defeat of their business partners.

Fifth question

The fact that the Ajarians are Muslims is being publicized
unofficially. What will happen if this turns into Baku’s main
argument?

That would mean double standards: One approach to Russia’s Muslim
Chechens and another approach to Georgia’s Muslim Ajarians. But this
kind of approach would make it difficult for Azerbaijan, which is
suffering from Armenian separatism in Nagornyy Karabakh, to ensure
that its fair position is supported by the international community.