SALOME ZURABISHVILI: WE REFUSE TO APPLY ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST ARMENIA

Azg/arm
14 Dec 04

“Georgia is in good relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan”,
Freedom radio station quoted foreign minister of Georgia, Salome
Zurabishvili, as saying to France-Presse news agency on the occasion
of a jam-up on the Georgian-Azeri border.

Azerbaijan has reduced the number of goods exported to Georgia
suspecting that they are imported to Armenia via Georgia. Zurabishvili
stated that Tbilisi is willing to prevent arms’ transportation but
added: “We refuse toapply economic sanctions against Armenia”.

The Georgian minister said that if Georgia ever had another standpoint
but being neutral in the conflict “we would adopt the logic of
aggravating the tension which would lead to a disaster not only us but
the region as a whole”.

The Azeri side stopped around 900 goods wagons making their way to
Georgia from Middle East via Azerbaijan saying that half of the goods
are destined for Armenia. Trend news agency quoted first deputy prime
minister of Azerbaijan, Abbas Abbasov, as saying: “We demand the
Georgian authorities to ban goods transportation to Armenia via
Azerbaijan”.

Interestingly, the Armenians and Azeris traded even during the war
years. The market of Sadaghlo (Georgia) remains the only place in the
last 13-14 years where Armenians and Azeris could talk the same
language.

Both today and during the war one could find Azeri tea and sturgeon in
the Armenian market. There were times when the Azeri fuel was imported
to Armenia. Last summer when the cost of bred went up in Armenia, the
frontier villagesof the republic were selling the flour packed in
Azeri town of Gyanja. Azeris in their turn were always greedy for the
potatoes of Sevan Lake basin the white-fish of the Lake, Spitak’s
carrot and cabbage. According to non-official data, the goods
circulation between Armenia and Azerbaijan via the territories of
Georgia and Iran amounts to more than $40 million.

Why did Azerbaijan suddenly decided not to allow the goods from
Azerbaijan to enter Armenia? TheZerkalonewspaper of Baku notes that
Baku’s step is directed on putting pressure on Georgia for two
reasons. It says that the Georgian customs officers confiscated the
tear-gas and bludgeons sent from Azerbaijan to suppress the “velvet”
revolution. President Aliyev perhaps was informed about this and was
not too enthusiastic over Mikheil Saakashvili’s cominginto power.

Thirdly, Baku is willing to punish Tbilisi which voted down
Azerbaijanâ=80=99s initiative at the UN General Assembly (on condition
on the Azerbaijani occupied territories) thus talking a pro-Armenian
stance.

By Tatoul Hakobian