GEORGIA WELCOMES PROGRESS IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALISATION
By Temuri Kiguradze

Messenger.ge
Monday, October 12

[Armenia’s Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian and Turkey’s Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu clap after the signing ceremony of a peace
deal between the two countries while flanked by France’s Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner, Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Micheline
Calmy-Rey U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russia’s Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov in Zurich October 10, 2009. REUTERS/Patrick
Kraemer/Pool] The establishment of diplomatic relations between
Armenia and Turkey is being evaluated in Georgia as a positive sign
for the Caucasus as a whole.

The Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers signed protocols on the
"development of bilateral relations" in Zurich on October 10, this
event marking significant progress in the reestablishment of relations
of two countries. The protocols say that the sides will open their
mutual border, closed by Turkey in 1993, recognise each others’
territorial integrity and start holding political negotiations.

The signing of the agreements has already been called "historic" by the
foreign media and been hailed by the international community as a step
forward in the stabilisation of relations between the two countries. "I
welcome the historic agreement to normalise relations between Turkey
and Armenia, and commend the effort and political will both leaders
have invested in overcoming differences and working towards a more
secure and stable region, which is in all our interests," said OSCE
Chairman-in-Office George Papandreou on October 11.

"There were concerns on both sides," stated U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, who mediated the difficult negations between the
two parties, "so there were several times when I said to all of the
parties involved that this is too important, this has to be seen
through, and you’ve come too far [to go back now]."

Georgian officials have also spoken about the positive aspect of the
negotiation rested in good and friendly relations existing between all
our neighbours. We have the hope that the establishment of relations
between Armenia and Turkey will stabilise the situation on the Caucasus
and some progress will be reached on the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," stated Georgian State Minister Temur Iakobashvili, speaking
to The Messenger on October 11. He added that he had always thought
that "the bad relations between Armenia and Turkey were an anomaly."

The confrontation between Armenia and Turkey was created, among
many other factors, by the efforts of Armenia to achieve global
recognition of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Ottoman Empire
in 1915 as genocide. Another issue is Turkey’s protest against the
participation of Armenia in the Nagorno Karabakh war, which ended
with Armenia occupying that region (as well as some others) although
it is internationally recognised to be part of Azerbaijan. After the
conflict Armenia was blockaded by Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"The normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia before
the withdrawal of Armenian forces from occupied Azerbaijani territory
is in direct contradiction to the interests of Azerbaijan and casts
a shadow over the spirit of brotherly relations between Azerbaijan
and Turkey, built on deep historical roots," the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry has said in a statement, commenting on the October 10 deal.

Former Georgian Ambassador to Armenia Revaz Gachechiladze notes that
the process of rebuilding relations will not be as easy as it may
seem. "This agreement has yet to be ratified by the Parliaments of
both republics and here it may face serious difficulties. There are
many nationalist political forces in Armenia that actively protest
against any normalisation of relations. The same situation exists in
Turkey," Gachechiladze said, speaking to The Messenger on the night
of the agreement’s signing.

Some Georgian analysts say that Tbilisi is not actually interested in
the normalisation of Turkish-Armenian relations onomic corridor for
blockaded Armenia. Georgian analyst on South Caucasus issues Irakli
Chikhladze notes that the society should take a "deeper look" at the
situation. Speaking to The Messenger Chikhladze noted that in Armenia
nowadays "the greatest part of the economy and business is under
Russian control." "If and when the border with Turkey opens a lot
of Turkish businessmen will be interested in creating new business
projects in Armenia, which will ruin the Russian monopoly in the
country and seriously harm its position in the South Caucasus as a
whole as a new player – Turkey – appears in the region, and Georgia
should be interested in these processes,"

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