GEORGIA’S FAIL TO HOLD MILITARY CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH OSSETIA LEADS SEVERAL FRIENDSHIP COUNTRIES TO EXTREMELY COMPLICATED SITUATION: AZERBAIJANI POLITICAL SCIENTIST
TREND Information
Aug 21 2008
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, Baku, 21 August / Trend News/ An interview with Rashad
Rzaguliyev, president of the Azerbaijani Social Projects Fund.
– The comments regarding the Russian-Georgian relations filled all
information areas. What is about your vision on the issue?
– At early millennium most analysts and experts forecasted beginning
of the war era. The forecasts, as we see, are justified. The world
repartition begins. Force becomes the main issue for development
of world rather than devalued international deals. As for the
incident… Georgian’s attempts to restore constitutional area in its
uncontrolled territories by force caused conflict of interests with
Russia, where Russian citizens reside. Taking into consideration that
Russian troops did not have a mandate for peacemaking activity in the
region, the Georgian-Russian military contradiction in active phase
was inevitable. The incident, undoubtedly, has tragic consequences,
not only for Georgia. The Georgian leadership failed the military
campaign in South Ossetia dully and led most friendship countries
including Azerbaijan to extremely complicated situation.
– What do you mean?
– Georgia is the key partner for Azerbaijan and Turkey on a range of
international geoeconomic projects. Energy and transport highways,
with Georgian participation, have formed a new geopolitical landscape
of the region, as well as permitted us to strengthen the status
of independence and later, to commence a new phase to restore
the territorial integrity in our countries. Today, the serious and
complicated work was in danger, as to me, through most dully manners
by Mikhail Saakashvili’s Administration.
– Georgia did run into risk and lose?
– Georgia has been deceived in hopes, expectations, and forecasts
and in leader finally. Countless countries ‘warmed their hand’ in
tragedy of Georgian people. Unfortunately, it had happened.
– What will change after Georgia leaves the CIS?
– In practice, the Commonwealth of Independent Countries has been
not functioned. Today, the organization, in its functional plan,
carries ornamental character only. The organization can be referred
to political anachronism of near past. We can consider Georgia’s
threats to leave the CIS as a net demonstrative step. Initially, the
CIS was infected with the virus to collapse, and the organization did
not carry the foundation frame, as Armenia being an aggressor country
and Azerbaijan the victim of Armenian aggression remained its members
from the begging. CIS did nothing to solve the conflict between the
conflict member-countries. Therefore, the number of countries, which
have conflict, has been increasing.
– Which further prospective do you see in the event?
– Russia has crossed "Rubicon’ by its actions in Georgia. The
democratic image of the new Russia has been damaged by interference
into the Georgian-Ossetin conflict seriously and for a long
period. Russia will actively locate itself as the world leader by using
the key tool of the modern epoch- force: political, financial-economic
and military… It is too expensive pleasure and time will show how
it will affect the Russian economy. One can forecast the beginning of
Russian more activity in the whole post Soviet area. At the same time,
I do not see serious contradictions of interests between the Russian
Federation and the United States in the near future. These countries
are able enough to reach agreement. The only disagreement point is the
upcoming interference into Iran by the United States. In this context,
both the United States and Russia will derive their dividends. Will
Georgia experience serious change of its foreign policy as Mikhail
Saakashvili proclaims? I am not sure… Georgian President’s anti
Russia rhetoric has been on the brink. There is another factor – the
Georgian Diaspora in Russia is numerous and integrated into political
and economic system of Russia and Georgia, and unlikely it will
permit the conflict between the countriesto take place long. Georgian
political and financial groups cannot reconcile with lost of Russian
markets. Saakashvili will have either take into consideration the fact
or have to face with serious political difficulties in the country.
– To what degree, as foro you, rational Azerbaijan’s position in the
Georgian-Russian conflict?
– I consider Azerbaijan’s position in the context as the adequate
and one right thing. I am surprised by… Armenia, which occupied 20%
territories of Azerbaijan, is the same national state and full right
actor in international policy, like Russia. I cannot understand why
the parents of international laws do not want to announce the country
as aggressor. Moreover, the leading countries, which demonstrate
altruism and peaceableness, propose both Armenia and Azerbaijan to
compromise, which will force Azerbaijan to make free-will refusal
from its territorial integrity principle.
– Can the conflict flare into a regional one and can it involve our
country as well?
– Certainly, there are high risks and threat for Azerbaijan. However,
the further development of events is controlled. Taking into
consideration the format of the country’s foreign policy, which has
been implemented by the incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, the threats
will be minimized.
-Do the blast committed in the Abu-Bakr Mosque in Baku have
interaction with the recent events in Georgia and explosion in the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline?
– The recent blast occurred in the Abu-Bakr Mosque in Baku during
prayer, is more than monstrous and tragic. I hope that the names of
criminals and motive of the crime will be revealed soon. Although
the investigation is going on, to my mind, there is no interaction
between them.