KARS-AKHALKALAKI RAILWAY WILL ‘FORCE ARMENIA INTO NATO’
By M. Alkhazashvili
Translated by Tiko Giorgadze
The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 28 2006
At a press conference in Yerevan, opposition Armenian MP Amaiak
Ovanesian said that Armenia will have to leave the Russia-dominated
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) established under the
aegis of Russia, and enter NATO.
Ovanesian thinks that the construction of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway (which links Turkey to Azerbaijan
via Georgia, bypassing Armenia) "will become a cordon sanitare that
will separate Armenia not only from Georgia but from its ally Russia,"
Ovanesian said, reports the newspaper Rezonansi.
"The existence of the current axis of Iran, Armenia and Russia will
become impossible. For this reason, Armenia’s membership in the
CSTO that guarantees the country’s security will become pointless,"
said Ovanesian, adding that Armenia will have to think of integration
into NATO.
In April this year, former parliament speaker of Armenia, Artur
Baghdasarian said that "the future of Armenia is in the EU and NATO".
Two days later Armenian President Robert Kocharian contradicted
him, saying Armenia has no plans to join the alliance, leading to
Baghdasarian’s resignation, and move into opposition.