Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 11 2006

Amin Zekhov: `Armenia is the Belarus of the South Caucasus’

[ 11 Mar. 2006 12:56 ]

The conflicts in the South Caucasus are topic of discussion in the
north of the Caucasus too. Most of local military and political
experts say it is high time to eliminate all these conflicts.

Some experts think the conflicts should be solved by peaceful way,
without Russia’s mediation. Council member of the Public Organization
Adijei People’s Assembly, military expert, Colonel Amin Zekhov, who
favors the aforementioned opinion, told the Dagestan bureau of APA
that the so-called Abkhazia and South Osetia Republics should
seriously consider their future.
`Georgia is an independent state. So, Russia cannot bombard it. Peace
cannot be achieved by tanks. Russian citizens should live in Russia.
Leaders of Abkhazia and South Osetia should negotiate with Georgia
with mediation of the Caucasus nations’ confederation representatives
not with Russia’s mediation. Russian peacekeeping forces should be
withdrawn from these territories. Abkhazia and South Osetia would
better accept Georgia instead of joining Russia, which will lead to
destruction of their histories and cultures. The peoples of these
republics should take a lesson from us,’ Zekhov said.
The military expert thinks that Azerbaijan is the closest strategic
ally of Georgia in the South Caucasus. Touching on the Nagorno
Garabagh conflict, Zekhov said this problem should be solved by
peaceful way too. Referring to Armenia’s role in the South Caucasus,
Zekhov said: `Everyone knows that Armenia is the Belarus of the South
Caucasus.’/APA/