TURKS, AZERIS AND GEORGIANS CEMENTING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 21 2007

Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya has reported that the Turkish,
Azerbaijani and Georgian relationship has transformed into "a strategic
partnership of perspective" and noted that Armenia has been left out
of this axis due to issues with the region of Nagorno-Karabakh —
hotly disputed between Azerbaijan and Armenia — and unfavorable
diplomatic relations.

In an opinion column published yesterday it was reported that despite
pessimistic forecasts "new integration initiatives" are becoming
effective, referring to the business alliance of Turkey, Azerbaijan
and Georgia, adding, "This integration has started to advance since
the mid-1990s because of the incredible petroleum and natural gas
reserves in the region of the Caspian Sea."

The article went on to say that Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku is a
"new and determined player" in the field of energy and that Russia,
along with many other countries, viewed the Baku-Supsa petroleum line,
which transports Azeri petroleum to the Black Sea, as a political
project rather than a financial initiative. "Despite all eyes being
on Azerbaijan, the oil pipeline was established and big companies
decided on the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Cehyan (BTC) oil
pipeline, as well as a Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline,"
the columnist wrote.

Turkey took advantage of resources Russia ignored. Following
the realization of the BTC project, the joint decision of
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to construct a Baku-Tbilisi-Javakheti
(Ahýlkelek)-Kars railway is indicative of a regional axis, according
to the article in the Russian newspaper. The article goes on to
say that Russia has chosen to remain outside of the axis due to a
difference political opinions and maintains that a BTC project will
not be lucrative while exerting efforts to prevent the realization
of this project.

The article notes that "Turkey, like any county that has economic
strength, took advantage of the opportunity [to partake in such
a project]." The article praised Turkey for being helpful in
resolving a problem between Azerbaijan and Georgia in the early 1990s
surrounding food items, adding: "Of our course Turkey benefited from
its involvement as well. Unfortunately, Armenia, the third country
of the Southern Caucus region, is becoming exceedingly excluded from
the strengthening axis of integration between these nations because
of its lack of diplomatic relations with Turkey and the lack of a
resolution in the matter of [Nagorno-] Karabakh.

However, if Armenia’s relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan were to
improve, the integration could gain speed. Moreover, Armenia’s Minister
of Foreign Affairs Vardan Oskanyan has stated that Yerevan — Armenia’s
capital — must work towards involvement in such projects. Armenia,
which is under blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey and can only establish
relations with the rest of the world through Georgia, must know that
it is important for it to become involved in regional integration
initiatives, the article noted.

–Boundary_(ID_Tj7AZMIO712zH7n8oOoTWw)–