AZG Armenian Daily #025, 10/02/2007

Probable Consequences of Political Agiotage

A LETTER BY FOREIGN MINISTER OF ARMENIA VARDAN OSKANIAN IN CONNECTION WITH
THE AGIOTAGE ABOUT THE KARS-AKHALKALAK-TBILISI-BAKU RAILROAD

Yesterday "Azg" received the following message of Vardan Oskanian, the
Foreign Minister of Armenia.

"I’ve been following our press for the last two days, and I’d like to
respond to those expressions which have appeared regarding my statement that
the Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku railroad can’t result in Armenia’s
isolation and can’t cause additional injury to Armenia’s economy.

I have great respect toward the members of our press corps and I know that
they are neither inattentive nor naïve, and that they cannot not see the
most obvious realities. Nevertheless, those defeatist attitudes which
appeared in our press and in various public statements, truly surprised me.

I understand that there are `objective’ reasons for these expressions. A
difficult election campaign awaits us, and each grouping is attempting to
acquire a piece of the pie, by exploiting various issues at all appropriate
and inappropriate opportunities, often, in my opinion, coming up against our
own national interests. In this context, I understand the motivation, but I
can’t justify it. Because we’re talking about elections, efforts are made to
plant such attitudes in the broadest possible electoral field. This is what
I think is dangerous and this is exactly what our adversaries desire.

In criticizing my assessment that even when this rail line becomes
operational, Armenia will not face any new problems, my critics do not
present any evidence. Let’s evaluate the situation together. What additional
problems could the Kars-Akhalkalak line create?

The reality is that if we take into consideration the economic conditions
which exist today and which have existed for the last 15 years, then it’s
obvious that this new railroad can’t be additionally damaging to Armenia’s
economy. If the existing Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi rail line were operating, and
this new railroad came to supplant it, or to run in parallel to it, then
yes, we could say that this new railroad would have adverse affects on
Armenia’s economy. However, that’s clearly not the case.

This criticism would also have been acceptable if the Armenian-Turkish
border were closed because of Armenia, or the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railroad
did not work, because of Armenia, or if Armenia insisted on preconditions to
normalizing relations with Turkey.

However, that’s clearly not the case, either. Today, the border is closed
because of Turkey and because the Armenian side refuses to comply with
Turkey’s demands. All those who insist that the gas pipeline or the oil
pipeline or the railroad could have gone thru Armenia, should have known
full well that that would have been possible only by relinquishing our
rights regarding certain issues which constitute our national interest and a
national value. That is the price we would have had to pay; yet we haven’t.

That is the political situation, and it is not possible to ignore that truth
and to irresponsibly insist that in this political atmosphere, things could
have been otherwise.

Those experts and organizations which have assessed this rail project have
said and continue to say that it is not economically sound and at the same
time, politically, it endangers regional cooperation. The decisions by the
US, the EU and other countries not to provide government assistance to this
project reflect these assessments.

We, too, consider this project to be, above all, a political project, aimed,
yet again, at bringing additional pressure to bear on Armenia and attempting
to secure certain concessions. In this context, this project can create
further complications in an already complex region.

The experience of these past years should have been sufficient for our
adversaries to understand that it is not possible to use such steps and such
language with Armenia, particularly regarding the Nagorno Karabakh issue.
There are matters which are non-negotiable values for us. We have repeated
frequently, and today, too, I will disappoint Azerbaijan and those who
support it by saying: Karabakh is not a tradeable commodity for Armenians.
>From this perspective, Karabakh was not negotiable during the Baku-Ceyhan
discussions, nor during the Baku-Akhalkalak-Kars discussions, and will not
be negotiable at any time in the future.

Our approach is different. We believe that as regional cooperation deepens
and includes all the countries of the region, then existing regional
tensions will weaken, it will fuel greater reciprocal trust, and strengthen
linkages. All this, taken together will create an environment so different
from today’s that the many complex political issues facing us will find a
resolution. This is not just a policy, but the guideline for the work that
we do every day.

What concerns me is not the political exploitation so much as its
consequence – the defeatism being sown in our people. What we have today is
not Armenia’s isolation. What we have is two neighboring countries who are
willfully attempting to isolate Armenia. And, in spite of such efforts, we
have an Armenia that is active – in some cases even more than those same
neighbors – in every international organization from EU, to Council of
Europe, the CIS, NATO, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and other
international organizations. Where is the isolation? It’s time to put an end
to this willful self-deception.

Don’t judge Armenia by what Turkey and Azerbaijan do. Judge Armenia by what
we do, by our own resources and opportunities.

We are faced with many foreign and domestic challenges, and we all know well
where they come from. To overcome them, it is essential that we consider
issues sensibly, assess the situation and the opportunities accurately,
demonstrate firm will, confidence and unity.

Vartan Oskanian, 09 February 2007"