TURKISH ANALYST: SOUTH CAUCASUS IS A NEW TARGET FOR NATO AND EU

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.10.2008 18:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Caucasus had been on the agenda in the first
half of 2008 due to the instability in the region during and after the
elections in Armenia and Georgia. The Caucasus dominated the world’s
attention in the second half of 2008 with its elections issues,
their potential impact on Azerbaijan, and solution initiatives for
the frozen conflicts, analyst Mitat Celikpala wrote in an editorial
in the Turkish Daily News.

"Taking into account Russia’s desire to be more active in the political
arena, and the expansion of the NATO/transatlantic security zone to the
Caucasus alongside these developments, it is clearly evident that the
rivalry has acquired a global dimension. The Caucasus – particularly
Georgia – has become an active war zone with the constant potential
as a hot conflict within the framework of the global quest for power.

The whole world is closely following the developments in the Caucasus,
and common solutions are being sought for the regional problems. The
connection between the interests of parties and the solutions to
problems has given the struggle for a balance of power a new global
dimension.

Since their independence, the Caucasian republics have tried to
form reliable and sustainable state structures that prioritize the
protection of this independence. While Georgia, from the beginning,
perceived Russia as a threat to its national existence and sought to
become part of the Western world and its institutions, Armenia forged
a full alliance with Russia to protect its security and territorial
integrity. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has preferred to pursue a more
balanced policy, reflecting its wealth of natural resources and the
diversity of its problems.

In this context, the main factor determining regional countries’
positions and policies is essentially global processes. It is evident
that fundamental change has occurred in the perception and policies of
the transatlantic world – primarily the EU and NATO – of and towards
the region. The new target of these organizations, which are about
to complete the process of political integration with Eastern Europe
and the Western Balkans, is the Caucasus," the article says.