[28-03-2005 ‘Armenia-Azerbaijan’]
————————————————- ———————
PUTIN’S VISIT TO ARMENIA IS A POSITIVE FACTOR FOR AZERBAIJAN
Source : “Zerkalo” newspaper (Azerbaijan)
Author: F. Teymurkhanly
Political scientist Vafa Guluzade does not exclude the possibility for
liberation of certain occupied territories after this visit.
It is quite possible that President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Yerevan
was conditioned by the concerns over the `velvet revolution’ likely to
occur in Armenia. Thus, in the conversation with `Zerkalo’
correspondent, Vafa Guluzade commented on the trip of Head of Russian
state to Armenia. In his opinion, Russia will totally lose control
over this country in case these events do happen. The political
scientist thinks that Russia today is more than ever interested in
promoting Karabagh conflict settlement. `The point is that Russia is
seriously concerned over the sweeping `velvet revolution’ in
Kyrgystan. As a logical consequence, the new forces, getting power in
this country, will conduct their own policy free from Russian
influence. However, there were some statements that Kyrgystan will
keep developing friendly relations, however these ties will be built
on the equality principle”, V. Guluzade stated.
It is for this reason, as V. Guluzade thinks, that Russia has fears
over the events in Armenia to develop on the scenario common for
Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgystan, which in its turn means for official
Moscow losing its main outpost in the South Caucasus. Alongside this,
V. Guluzade noted that Putin’s attempts for setting a barrier on the
path of “velvet revolution”, likely to reach Armenia sooner or later,
are doomed to failure. According to the political scientist, Armenia
realizes that it can hardly afford the services of the `elder
brother’. `Therefore, Armenians currently aspire to developing
relations with USA and view the latter as a stronger pillar of
support”, V. Guluzade emphasized.
Developing this thought, the political scientist noted that after
Armenia’s independence from Russian control, Karabagh conflict will be
settled. According to V. Guluzade, it is Russia that became initiator
of the Karabagh conflict that was later frozen, again with the
involvement of the northern neighbor. “Without Russia, Azerbaijan and
Armenia will easily come to mutual agreement in Karabagh problem
settlement’, V. Guluzade emphasized.
In other words, V. Putin’s visit to Armenia will not only exclude any
negative impact on Azerbaijani-Armenian relations but, on the
contrary, will promote a considerable improvement. V. Guluzade thinks
that after Putin’s meeting with President of Armenia, several occupied
Azerbaijani districts will be liberated in exchange for opening
communications. According to the political scientist, Russia will thus
attempt to keep Azerbaijan and Armenia as allies. However, these
attempts are domed to fiasco. Answering the question if Putin’s trip
to Armenia is a new twist in the struggle for the South Caucasus in
the light of Bush’s visit to Georgia, V. Guluzade stated that Russia
is too weak for fighting USA. Supporting his argument, V. Guluzade
noted that in other case the events in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgystan
would not have occurred. As the political scientist thinks, from a
global superpower Russia has long been transformed into a regional
one, therefore its abilities should not be overestimated.
Thus, President of Russia, Vladimir Putin arrived in Armenia on a two
day working visit the day before. In the course of Yerevan
press-conference, Russian President stated that Russia will do its
best for promoting resolution of Mountainous Karabagh conflict. He
also expressed hopes that a regular round of negotiations between
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will soon be held. Head of the
Russian state informed the journalists that in the course of the
meeting with President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, regional problems,
including the process of settlement of Mountainous Karabagh conflict,
were specially considered. According to Putin, both Russia and
Armenia are interested in stabilizing the situation in the Caucasus.
[26-03-2005 ‘Region’]
———————————————————————-
NEW INTEGRATION PROJECTS ARE NEEDED, PRESIDENTS OF RUSSIA AND ARMENIA HOLD
Source : `Golos Armenii’ newspaper (Armenia)
Author: Aris Ghazinian
The joint press conference of the heads of Armenian and Russian
states, Robert Kocharian and Vladimir Putin, was held in Yerevan on
March 25. It could not embrace the whole spectrum of most principle
issues of bilateral cooperation, apparently due to time limitations
(it took place two hours later than planned – the Presidents exceeded
the protocol limits).
Certainly, similar events do not always allow to `embrace the
unbounded’, however the problematic issues in the sphere of
Armenian-Russian ties apparently demand official comments. Somehow or
other, the Year of Russia started in Armenia, which was qualified by
Vladimir Putin as the best evidence of productive cooperation between
Yerevan and Moscow.
`Russian-Armenian relations develop practically in all directions’,
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin stated on March 25.
Agreement was reached about further promoting of the participation of
Armenian and Russian entrepreneurs in investment and privatization
activity in Armenia. We see significant prospects in the development
of industrial cooperation in energy and banking spheres’.In the
context of a greater activation of bilateral economic ties, the Heads
of Armenia and Russia paid special attention to the fact of starting
the long-awaited ferriage from `Caucasus’ port to the Georgian port of
Poti on March 25. `Despite the fact that the first cargo, grain, is
for Georgia, I hope this route will be used for transporting goods to
Armenia as well’, the Russian President noted. `It will open larger
opportunities for business and will promote strengthening of
integration processes’.
On his behalf, President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, stressed the
importance of running the ferriage, pointed to the necessity of
working out certain issues of tariff policy as well. Thus, the arrival
of the first ferry in Poti was conducted in accordance with the
Agreement on organizing direct railway-ferry communication via the
ports of Poti and `Caucasus’ between the Ministry of Economic
Development of Georgia and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian
Federation. Nevertheless, official Yerevan is both an interested and
de facto negotiating party in this process. The letter of
congratulation of the Georgian Minister Alexi Alexishvili, addressed
to his Armenian colleague Andranik Manukian on the same day, March 25,
is a good evidence of it.
In the course of Armenian-Russian negotiations on the highest level,
the Karabagh issue was certainly an issue of discussion. In this
respect, the heads of the two countries did not state anything
new. `Russia will do its utmost to solve this problem and hopes for a
forthcoming meeting and negotiations between Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan’, Vladimir Putin emphasized.
Though the Karabagh problem has not inspired new ideas with the heads
of the states, in the aspect of CIS development prospects, they
proposed quite fresh approaches. `CIS was established for the process
of USSR disintegration to proceed in a more civilized manner, as softy
as possible, with minimum losses in economic and humanitarian sphere’,
President of Russia emphasized. `I think CIS never had any top
priorities, particularly in the sphere of economic integration. If the
European states worked jointly for integration within European Union,
CIS was created for a civilized divorce. Herein lies the principle
difference between these structures, the rest being political babble
and empty talk. The disappointment comes from high expectations’.
Robert Kocharian also referred to the futility of such expectations,
`CIS is definitely not European Union, and we should not really pose
strong challenges for it. It is rather a good platform for frequent
meetings on the highest level to solve specific problems. Thus, I
never miss the chance for dealing with two-three tasks in the course
of such forums. We should be satisfied with the current stage’.
In this aspect, heads of Armenia and Russia stressed the necessity for
developing new, particularly integration and far-reaching projects,
among which Russian President names Eurasian Economic Society
(EurAsEC) and the New Economic Space. `They include elements of real
economic cooperation and set grounds for new and voluntary
integration’, Vladimir Putin noted.
In the course of the press conference, the recent events in Kyrgystan
were naturally discussed. Kyrgystan is not only an active participant
of EurAsEC but also a member of Organization for Collective Security
Agreement (OCSA) military strategic bloc, including Russia and Armenia
as members. `The events in Kyrgystan were not unexpected for Russia’,
Vladimir Putin commented on the issue. `It is the result of the
weakness of the authorities and aggravation of social economic
problems. It is really a pity that in a country of post-Soviet space,
political problems are solved through illegal means. We rely on the
opposition leaders to take the situation under control and stabilize
it. If Askar Akaev wishes to visit Russia, we will not object’.
—
Yerevan Press Club of Armenia presents `MediaDialogue Web Site as a
Regional Information Hub’ project. As a part of the project
web site is maintained, featuring the most
interesting publications from the press of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Turkey on issues of mutual concern. The latest updates on
the site are weekly delivered to the subscribers.