RUSSIA JOINS TURKISH-AZERI BLOCKADE

Azg/am
6 Oct 04

Price of Armenian-Russian Strategic Cooperation

The Armenian-Russian strategic relations arouse suspicion. Anyway,
Moscow, close friend of Armenia, its strategic and the only ally, put
Armenia in a situation that is unprecedented for the last 13
years. There were cases of misunderstanding in the Armenian-Russian
relations in the past as well. There were times, for example during
the Georgian-Abkhazian war, when Georgia was in chaos, when Armenia
was blocked from three sides and the neighbouring Iran was the only
way for us to communicate with the outer world.

Soon, it will be a month that the Russian-Georgian border is locked,
i.e. Russia is indirectly keeping Armenia in blockade. According to
some information, over 1500 cars are stuck on the Russian part of
Verin Lars checkpoint. It’s worth reminding that Moscow closed its
border with Georgia after the terrorist act in Beslan, condemning
Georgia and Azerbaijan of making no sufficient efforts to prevent the
entrance of the hirelings and terrorists to Chechnyathrough their
territories.

By the end of the last week, Sergey Mironov, chairman of the Council
of Federation of Russia, who paid an official visit to Armenia,
expressed hopethat “the Armenian authorities will treat with
understanding the decision of the Russian authorities to close the
border with Georgia in Verin Lars point. Mironov characterized it as a
“forced measure”. “Terrorists penetrate into Russia from Georgia. They
feel quite free there. This measure is not directed against the
transportation of the Armenian goods. We are aware of Armenia’s
problems,” Mironov said.

Mironov arrived in Armenia just in time. It seemed that his Armenian
colleague will express concrete discontent. It is not a secret that
President Kocharian can’t express discontent for well-known
reasons. Yet, thebehaviour of Artur Baghdasarian exceeded all the
expectations. And not only his behaviour. Instead of expressing
concrete discontent to Mironov, the second person of our country
(according to the Constitution), at the airport, at the
parliament,during the press conference, displayed such a flattering
behaviour as if nothing happened. Meanwhile, this was the case when
the very chairman of the parliament and the deputies should have
expressed concrete discontent to Russia.

One can understand Russia. The terrorist acts of the recent years made
the Russians take additional security measures. On the other hand,
difficult questions occur. For instance, why Russia doesn’t allow the
cars leaving for Armenia to pass the Georgian-Russian
border. According to our information, the cars stuck in Verin Lars are
going to Armenia or Azerbaijan mainly. Isn’t it possible to let at
least one car move in a day? Do the terrorists pass through the
Russian-Georgian passport control points to reach to Chechnya? The
Russian side assures the Armenian drivers and passengers stuck in
Northern Ossetia for weeks that the border is blocked from the
Georgian side.

About a month ago, the Georgian president ordered to close the
Southern Ossetian part of the Georgian-Russian border. Trucks heading
for Armenia manage to pass the Northern Ossetian border by bribing
guards but have to stay in South Ossetia as the Georgian side is
reluctant to let them cross the Georgian-Ossetian border. For several
times in Tbilisi by the assistance ofthe Armenian Embassy it became
possible to let some of the cars cross the border. In this case, a
complicated situation is shaped for the Georgian authorities. It turns
out that the instructions of Mikheil Saakashvili don’t concern the
Armenians. There were speeches held at the Georgian Parliament,
saying that the blocked borders should be blocked for everybody,
including Armenians.

In fact, Georgia doesn’t suffer from Russia’s blockade. Let’s suppose
that the Georgian budget loses several million of dollars because of
the blocked borders. It is obvious that Saakashvili, who is enjoying
the assistance of the West, will get ten times more sums for that. In
fact, Russia put in blockade its strategic ally Armenia.

One should suppose that by this step Moscow is expressing discontent
for Armenia’s policy to deepen relations with NATO. But the measure
Russia chose to punish Armenia is not good for a long period. If
Russia wants to arouse anti-Russian moods among the political and
public circles of Armenia, it can continue keeping locked the
Russian-Georgian border, i.e. to keep Armenia in blockade.

By Tatoul Hakobian