EUROPEAN UNION CONSOLIDATES ITS POSITION IN THE REGION
Karine Ter-Sahakyan

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.10.2008 GMT+04:00

Neither France, nor Germany will aggravate relations with Russia
because of a small country, which, however sad it may sound to
Saakashvili, is of no strategic value.

The European Union is slowly but steadily restoring its once lost
position towards peacemaking and establishing order in conflict
regions. In short, it is trying to replace the USA, which being
presently busy with the financial crisis and pre-election presidential
fever is not in the mood for regulating conflicts. Inability to
cope with the Talibs in Afghanistan, the failed attempt to establish
democracy in Iraq and complete absence of ideas of restoring peace
in the Caucasus resulted in the opportunity for the EU to begin
its own game. The succeeded "Sarkozy-Medvedev" plan of settling the
Georgian-Ossetian conflict in essence became the first real signal
indicating that European politicians have ceased to look back at the
USA and are eager to prove that problems can also be solved in the
Old World, with their own strength.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In this connection it should be reminded that
French and British generals in Afghanistan have directly stated that
it is absolutely impossible to defeat the Talibs and win the war. In
fact, the generals have recognized the weakness of NATO and what is
more serious, incorrectness of the US policy. But these are already
details. Much more serious is the problem of Turkey’s membership in
the European Union. As you know, the most active adherent of Ankara’s
integration into the European Union used to be the USA. President
George Bush even tried to "push" Turkey into the EU through its
faithful ally, Great Britain. However, France and Germany were able
to resist the pressure and did not yield. Today allegedly remaining
the strategic ally of the US Turkey is in fact implementing its own
policy, which often goes against the interests of Washington.

However, in connection with the latest events in the Caucasus and with
the five-day war in particular, which, by the way, is very often called
"Georgian-Russian", the force vector has changed. Perfectly realizing
that his stake over the ocean is already lost, President Saakashvili
is currently seeking help in Europe, and exactly in France. Visits
of President Sarkozy and Foreign Minister Kouchner are apparently
called to support the Georgian President, who bluntly trusted George
Bush. However, neither France, nor Germany will aggravate relations
with Russia because of a small country, which, however sad it may
sound to Saakashvili, is of no strategic value. For the powerful
world even the whole South Caucasus is no more than a territory for
pipelines, and its population is an annoying but, alas, a required
reality. Europeans utter general phrases about the necessity of a
dialogue and renunciation of confrontation, which in regular language
means "We are in crisis and winter is at hand. Solve your problems
yourselves". Even if Russia is not able to cope with the crisis,
it will surely have no problems with energy carriers.

As for Turkey, according to EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli
Rehn Turkey should hurry with making reforms related to the process
of her full membership in the European Union. "I would like to see
Turkey move rapidly in its reform process. The EU and Turkey are
acting united towards unification of their economies. Despite arising
negative moments the process is moving ahead, and now talks are open
on seven chapters of international dossier. By the end of the year
further negotiation chapters of membership talks will be opened,"
Rehn said at the fifth Bosphorus Conference on EU-Turkey Relations.

Quite probably Turkey’s activeness in the process of regulating
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as its attempts to improve
relations with Armenia can be explained by its hopes to gain a soonest
access into the EU. Despite the delayed and unfruitful war against the
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), this will bring considerable political
dividends to Recep Erdogan’s Government. The prolonged "antiterrorist"
operation may simply end up with annexation of part of Northern Iraq,
which, in its turn, might result in a new regional war, and it would
be almost impossible for Turkey to rise from this war even with the
help of the USA or Europe.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress