POLITICAL ANALYSIS: GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN HARMONY
By M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 4 2005

During an official visit to Yerevan, Armenia September 29-30 by
Georgian Prime-Minister Zurab Noghaideli, several pertinent issues
regarding the two countries’ economic relations were agreed upon
and several significant political statements were made as well. The
agreement reached by Armenian and Georgian representatives is of key
importance not only for the two countries, but for the Caucasus region
as a whole.

Part of the agreement regards the restructuring of Georgia’s USD
12 million debt towards Armenia. The sides agreed again to deepen
cooperation in the energy and transportation spheres. On the table
at negotiations was the issue of constructing a 330-km electric
transmission line linking the Georgian and Armenian energy systems.

The newspaper Rezonansi writes that the Georgians side considers
this to be a potential additional resource for energy supply. It is
decided that the Georgian and Armenian energy systems will work in a
parallel regime, much as Armenia does with Iran. This will strengthen
the stability of Georgia’s energy system.

Zurab Noghaideli strove to calm Armenian fears that certain projects
underway in Georgia will not go against Armenian interests. He then
stated that Georgia is ready to assist in the creation of transport
links with Armenia, namely automobile, railway and air transport in
the directions Tbilisi-Yerevan and Yerevan-Batumi directions.

Zurab Noghaideli and his Armenian counterpart Andranik Margarian
applied together to the European Union to allot a grant for the
rehabilitation of the Airum-Sadakhlo highway that connects the two
countries.

Margarian thanked Noghaideli for Georgia’s re-activation of the
Poti-Kavkaz ferry route, which gives Armenia a stable route to
Russia. In addition, the Armenian Prime-Minister thanked the Georgian
side for the stable functioning of the vehicle route linking the two
countries. Akhali Taoba reports that the Armenian side mentioned that
since the creation of the Patrol Police, bribe-taking and blackmail
on this road has all but completely ceased.

The meeting in Yerevan also witnessed an agreement in regard
to certain Armenian activist groups’ demands for autonomy of the
Javakheti region. As Noghaideli stated, “the people that demand the
autonomy of Javakheti are only a small part of the community there
and do not speak for the whole population.”

At the same time, he said, all citizens of Georgia will have
equal opportunities for development. For his part, the Armenian
Prime-Minister stated that the issue of Javakheti’s autonomy would
never be on the agenda. “This issue is always mentioned when somebody
wants to use it for his own interests,” he said, as quoted by Akhali
Taoba.

Armenia expressed its satisfaction with Georgian plans to restore
the Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki road within the framework of the United
States’ Millennium Challenge program. This, they say, will help the
Samtskhe-Javakheti region’s future integration into Georgia and also
serve as a “window to Europe” for Armenia.

During the visit the Georgian side once again warned Armenia that given
safety concerns, large cargo-bearing vehicles will not be allowed to
cross the Georgian-Russian boarder checkpoint at Kazbegi-Lars this
coming winter.

On Noghaideli’s demand, Georgian specialists will soon be given the
opportunity to tour the Armenian Atomic Energy Plant in order to
inspect the safety situation there. The Armenian side maintains that
the plant is completely safe and that it poses no risk to neighboring
countries.