Triple Blockade

[Arpa]

Triple Blockade.

Needs a bypass surgery.

Of late have been reading similar news as this.

========

Armenia transport isolation thwarts trade with RF - minister

 

Armenia transport isolation thwarts trade with RF - minister

 

ITAR-TASS News Agency

October 13, 2004 Wednesday

 

YEREVAN, October 13 -- Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said

Armenia's transport isolation thwarts trade with Russia.

 

Levitin, who is Russian co-chairman of the inter-governmental

commission on economic cooperation, said this problem is in the focus

of sessions of the inter-governmental commission.

 

Among major problems, the Russian minister named the unsatisfied

development of the transport infrastructure, which requires additional

finances, and Georgia's unconstructive position on opening through

railway traffic between Russia and Armenia.

 

Levitin said, "There are obstacles to carry out the project on

organising direct ferry traffic via Poti. The solution of the transport

problem in the Caucasus should be subject of the whole region."

 

Armenia ranks third among CIS countries in investments in Russia's

economy, he said.

 

Speaking at an international economic forum, the minister said,

"At present, the improvement of trade structure and the expansion

of investment cooperation is one of priority tasks." The forum was

organised by the World Armenian Congress and the Union of Armenians

of Russia.

 

He recalled, "Russia invested in different fields of Armenia's economy,

primarily in the productive and banking sectors of the economy."

 

Last year Russia's investment in Armenia's economy reached 68 million

U.S. dollars. From 1988 to 2003 Russia's direct investment in Armenia

exceeded 230 million U.S. dollars.

 

Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said Russia is ready to take an active

part in investment programmes and the implementation of economic

projects in Armenia.

 

The prime minister's message was read by Russian Transport Minister

Igor Levitin.

 

Fradkov said he is hopeful that this forum would become a catalyst

for the development of trade and economic ties between Armenia and

Russia and other countries.

 

He noted that the Armenian community in Russia played a significant

role in launching mutually advantageous ties in various spheres

between the two countries.

 

Levitin said the development of inter-regional relations between the

two countries was an important reserve of bilateral relations.

 

Commenting on Armenia's state debt to Russia, the minister said the two

countries had found a solution to this problem last year. The handover

of companies as payment of the state debt creates preconditions for

boosting trade and economic interaction between the two states.

 

Russian-Armenian trade and economic cooperation is developed in

accordance with the principle of equality, while meeting each party's

national interests and to their mutual advantage, the minister said.

 

Levitin noted positive examples of cooperation, including such joint

ventures as Armenal, in which the Russian Aluminium Company invested

more than 40 million dollars, the Armavia airline, in which Russia's

Sibir holds a 70-percent sake and the Orbita plant, which is wholly

owned by Rosaviaspetskomplex.

 

"We have cooperation plans in the fields of power generation,

including nuclear power generation, and information technologies

where resources and experience of Russian communication operators

on Armenia's market will be used, as well as in the sphere of space

exploration and science," the minister said.

 

He said Russia's commercial banks begin to display interest in

servicing Russian companies, which operate in Armenia, and setting

up new joint ventures.

=========

 

Now Armenia is blockaded not only on the east and the west but also on the north.

Survey the map below. Click on the Igdir region and observe that narrow goosebeak that lets Turkey access to Nakhijevan. That piece of land was ceced to Turkey by Iran for some sinsiter reason. Now click on the Kars and Ardahan region and observe how much it would take to reach the Black Sea.

Can we get back to those classical times when Armenia and Iran were allies one days and adversaries the next. Iran needs an unfettered access to the Black Sea , so do we. How much would it take for Iran to reclaim land that it had to cede to Turkey and how much for Armenia to reclaim lands she lost?

 

Triple Blockade needs drastic bypass surgery to make that (Armenian) heart to beat properly again.

 

Map;

http://www.adiyamanli.org/MapofTurkey/turk_map.htm

Edited October 15, 2004 by Arpa

[Armen]

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/busi...eav101804.shtml

 

 

Business & Economics:

RUSSIAN BLOCKADE OF SOUTH CAUCASUS LEAVES ARMENIANS FUMING

Emil Danielyan: 10/18/04

 

 

Russia's decision to close border-crossing points with Georgia and Azerbaijan, purportedly to frustrate movements by Chechen militants, has produced widespread discontent, even anger in Armenia – Moscow’s long-time strategic ally in the Caucasus. Some in Yerevan suggest the move may prompt a reassessment of Armenia’s special relationship with Russia.

 

Armenia – a landlocked country already squeezed by embargos enforced by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan – had depended heavily on a trade route via Georgia to Russia, known as the Upper Lars Pass. The Kremlin’s decision in September to close its border with Georgia has added to Armenia’s isolation, severing one of its two overland export routes to Russia. Armenian businesses dependent on trade with Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union are facing ruin.

 

Armenian leaders have pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to reconsider the border closure. Yerevan rejected a Russian proposal to transport goods via South Ossetia, saying the route was impractical due to the high level of tension in the region. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin indicated during talks with Armenian official on October 14 that the Upper Lars Pass would remain closed for at least another month so that Moscow can implement “anti-terrorist measures.” Levitin also claimed that a trade route via Iran and the Caspian Sea was a cheaper alternative for Armenia than sending goods to Russia via the Upper Lars Pass.

 

The maximum Moscow could do, Levitin said, is to again reopen the Upper Lars Pass for a few hours. This is what happened on October 10 when nearly 600 Armenian trucks, personal cars and buses stranded on the mountain pass for a month were allowed to cross into Georgia and proceed to Armenia.

 

Russian authorities ordered the closure of Georgian-Russian checkpoint, including Upper Lars, immediately after the September 3 hostage tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Russian officials insist that the Chechen separatists have used Georgia and Azerbaijan as safe heavens to carry out terrorist acts. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Officials in Baku and Tbilisi strongly dispute the Kremlin’s claim.

 

Armenian authorities have yet to offer an estimate of the financial damage done to the Armenian economy. Officials have made contradictory assessments, with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian citing "serious consequences," while Trade Minister Karen Chshmaritian suggested that the direct damage was not substantial.

 

Whatever the true extent of the disruption, many in Armenia consider Russia’s actions as unjustified. Vahan Hovannisian, a leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, a traditionally pro-Russian party represented in Kocharian's coalition cabinet, branded the border closings as “hasty and not fully calculated."

 

Opposition politicians have been even more outspoken in their criticism of Moscow. “I am convinced that it [the border decision] has nothing to do with terrorism," said Vazgen Manukian, a former prime minister. “This is simply political pressure on Georgia. That Armenia is suffering from it doesn't matter to Russia. It [Moscow] will trample our national interests for the sake of its own interests.”

 

Such resentment is echoed by the Armenia's politically diverse print media, which has been unanimous in condemning Moscow's policy. Many Armenian political experts are warning that the Russians’ actions risk alienating their main regional ally, which, they some go on to note, has strengthened its ties with the West in recent months. “The Russian-Armenian strategic relationship is called into question," declared Azg, an independent daily normally supportive of Russia.

 

The Russian-language newspaper Golos Armenii complained that Putin's administration was “measuring all Caucasians with the same yardstick.”

 

“There is a growing number of organizations in Armenia that are not carriers of Armenians' traditional pro-Russian orientation,” the editorial continued. “And that is not only the result of the West's actions [to improve its relations with Armenia], but also Russian steps leading nowhere.”

 

Some opinion polls appear to confirm that traditionally strong Armenian-Russian ties are eroding. One survey last May -- conducted by the Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS), an independent think-tank –- found that almost two-thirds of the 50 political and public-policy experts interviewed wanted Armenia to join NATO within the next decade. In addition, most experts identified Russia as the foreign power that “limits Armenia's independence.”

 

An ACNIS survey in August, however, found that opinions among the broader Armenian population remain strongly pro-Russian. Almost 90 percent of 2,000 respondents described Russia as a friendly nation. Only 47 percent had the same perception of the United States.

 

The pro-Russian sentiment is deeply rooted in the Armenians' sense of insecurity, generated largely by decades of hostility between Armenia and Turkey, and fueled by the unresolved conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Artsax. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. A Artsax settlement, though unlikely in the near future, would presumably help ease Armenians’ siege mentality. The pro-Western outlook of a growing number of intellectuals could also reflect on public opinion over time.

 

Russian-Armenian relations have a strong socio-economic component. Since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, hundreds of thousands of Armenian citizens have moved to Russia in search of jobs. Their regular cash remittances back to Armenia are a major source of income for many families in the impoverished country.

 

At the same time, Russia's share of Armenia's external trade has steadily declined over the past decade. Indeed, in 2004, the European Union emerged as Armenia’s single largest trading partner. Official figures for the first half of this year show the EU accounting for over 40 percent of the country's commercial exchange. Russia’s share was less than 20 percent. A recent survey, conducted by the independent Vox Populi polling organization, found that a majority of Armenians would prefer to join the European Union, rather than remain in the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States.

 

The closure of the Russian-Georgian border stands to accelerate the decline in Russian-Armenian commercial ties. Some media commentaries suggest that public attitudes in Armenia towards Russia may also start shifting soon. As a commentator for the Azg daily stated in early October; “If Russia really wants to stir up anti-Russian sentiment among Armenia's political circles and public in general, it can continue this blockade.”

Edited October 19, 2004 by Armen

[Sasun]

Opposition politicians have been even more outspoken in their criticism of Moscow. “I am convinced that it [the border decision] has nothing to do with terrorism," said Vazgen Manukian, a former prime minister. “This is simply political pressure on Georgia. That Armenia is suffering from it doesn't matter to Russia. It [Moscow] will trample our national interests for the sake of its own interests.”

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

He is right, I agree. And why would Russia put Armenia's interests above her own interests? Why would any other country do that? If not the ordinary people, at the very least the Armenian politicians should understand this simple realpolitik.

[Armen]

That's because Russian's for their whole history did not understand one of the main rules of politics: you never betray an ally no matter what. You do it once and your credibility is lost forever.

[Sasun]

That's because Russian's for their whole history did not understand one of the main rules of politics: you never betray an ally no matter what. You do it once and your credibility is lost forever.

style_images/master/snapback.png

Armen, I understand what you are saying. I think Russians are not that stupid. They are taking advantage of the helplessness of Armenia. Whatever they do, Armenia does not have too many alternatives to Russia. We are going to be in the Russian zone anyways. Perhaps we will one day be able to break loose, but I don't see it happening now.

 

I think any major power would betray their allies knowing that they will not loose them as a result. So the rule that you are mentioning can be easily broken.

[Armen]

I think Russians are not that stupid. They are taking advantage of the helplessness of Armenia.

 

No Sasun, they are that stupid. Because when they betrayed Abashidze in Ajaria, Armenia was watching that and Kocharian made some conclusion I think. Now they are betraying Armenia and their other allies (almost none left) are making conculsions in their mind. So, they are that stupid.

 

I think any major power would betray their allies knowing that they will not loose them as a result. So the rule that you are mentioning can be easily broken.

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

No major power has ever betrayed its closest allies. I am not talking about countries you have good relation with or you have a single enemy with them. I am talking about an alliance of U.S. and Britain for example.

Edited October 19, 2004 by Armen

[Armen]

Armenia – a landlocked country already squeezed by embargos enforced by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan – had depended heavily on a trade route via Georgia to Russia, known as the Upper Lars Pass.

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

They say that the Armenia lorry driviers that are stuck in Upper Lars pass in Osetia, have changed their eating habits. Instead of making a "Karsi khorovats" they cook and "Larsi khorovats".

[Sasun]

No Sasun, they are that stupid. Because when they betrayed Abashidze in Ajaria, Armenia was watching that and Kocharian made some conclusion I think. Now they are betraying Armenia and their other allies (almost none left) are making conculsions in their mind. So, they are that stupid.

Armen, do you think they could have done more to help Abashidze? At least they saved him from being caught and persecuted by Sahakashvili gov't.

No major power has ever betrayed its closest allies. I am not talking about countries you have good relation with or you have a single enemy with them. I am talking about an alliance of U.S. and Britain for example.

style_images/master/snapback.png

Well, I am not big in history but I think there are many cases where small contries have been dumped and ignored by major patrons when there was such a necessity. At least the betrayal of our Cilician kingdom by the French comes to my mind.

[Johannes]

http://www.armtown.com/news/am/yer/20080516/1805/

 

ԿՈՆԳՐԵՍԱԿԱՆ ԱԴԱՄ ՇԻՖԸ ՆԵՐԿԱՅԱՑՐԵԼ Է «ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԻ ԴԵՄ ԹՈՒՐՔԻԱՅԻ ՀԱՍՏԱՏԱԾ ՇՐՋԱՓԱԿՄԱՆ ՎԵՐԱՑՄԱՆ ՄԱՍԻՆ» ՕՐԻՆԱԳԻԾԸ

 

[hetanos]

Georgia has been blockading its southern routes to Armenia since the collapse of Soviet Union. I traveled in the car from Moscow to Yerevan in 1989, just at the time of beginning of Abkhazian conflict.

It was pretty difficult even then to get from Suxumi To Kalinino via Tbilisi. As the war with Azeries progressed in 1990s, Georgian government made it increasingly difficult for Armenia to receive oil and

food shipments from Russia. It was a good trade of for Georgians. By again betraying us, they became member of the oil pipeline that stretches from Baku to Turkey.

It would take WWIII for Iranians to get access to Black Sea. It would take a miracle for us to get even 1/64 of Western Armenia back.

Edited May 17, 2008 by hetanos

[hetanos]

Armen, do you think they could have done more to help Abashidze? At least they saved him from being caught and persecuted by Sahakashvili gov't.

Well, I am not big in history but I think there are many cases where small contries have been dumped and ignored by major patrons when there was such a necessity. At least the betrayal of our Cilician kingdom by the French comes to my mind.

Rape of Poland by Catherine II of Russia and Frederick The Great of Prussia.

[Johannes]

Georgia has been blockading its southern routes to Armenia since the collapse of Soviet Union

 

We hope, the Georgia's membership to EU will change their bad habit.

 

[hetanos]

We hope, the Georgia's membership to EU will change their bad habit.

I hope you are right Johannes.

[Johannes]

Եթէ համաձանյեն Ռուսաստանն ու Հայաստանը, ապա մի նոր պատերազմի, որպէս հետեւանք, երբ Հայաստանն ու Ռուսաստանը սահմանակից երկրներ կը լինեն, Վրաստանը արեւելքից շրջափակուած կը լինի Հայաստանով եւ Ռւոսաստանով, իսկ Ազրբատլջանի արեւմուտքը միայն Հայաստան կը լինի:

Արցախ-Գանձակ (Կիրովապատ)-Մինգեչաուր-Զաքաթալա-Ռուսական Դաղստան

[Johannes]

Այդ ժամանակ, Հայաստանն իր նոր ազատագրած տարածքում գտնւող Կապալա-ի ռադարը ձրիօրէն կը տրամադրի Ռուսական բանակին:

Պանթուրքիսզմի վտանգը աւելիով կը նուազի, Վրաստանն այլեւս չի կարողանայ շահագործել Հայաստանի աշխարհագրական դիրքը:

 

[hetanos]

Եթէ համաձանյեն Ռուսաստանն ու Հայաստանը, ապա մի նոր պատերազմի, որպէս հետեւանք, երբ Հայաստանն ու Ռուսաստանը սահմանակից երկրներ կը լինեն, Վրաստանը արեւելքից շրջափակուած կը լինի Հայաստանով եւ Ռւոսաստանով, իսկ Ազրբատլջանի արեւմուտքը միայն Հայաստան կը լինի:

Արցախ-Գանձակ (Կիրովապատ)-Մինգեչաուր-Զաքաթալա-Ռուսական Դաղստան

 

Ես լիովին համաձայն եմ քո հետ: Բայց դա նշանակում է նոր պատերազմ, հազազարավոր նոր զոհեր, Ադրբեջանի վերացումը և(ներողամիտ եղի Արփա) միլոնավոր պախստականներ: Ես չեմ կարող պատկերացնել որ աշխարը կհանդուրժի այդպիսի մեծ պատերազմ:

Edited May 17, 2008 by hetanos

[Johannes]

Համաձայն եմ, հանգիստ նստած չենք կարող պահանջել ուրիշների երեխաների մահը, բայց թէ ադրբատլջանը յարձակի Հայաստանի վրայ, ապա հայկական զօրքն այդ ուղղութեամբ պէտք է գործի, կարծում եմ:

[hetanos]

Իմ կարծիքով պատերազմը կամփոփվի Արցախի և Ագդամի շրջակայքում: Մյուս կողմից, եթե

Ադրբեջանը սխալ թույլ տա և լայնացնի պատերազմը, ապա Հայաստանը ամեն իրավունք կունենա գրոհել մինչեվ Բաքու:

Իհարկե, զոհերը կլինեն անհամար, թէ Ադրբեջանի թէ Հայաստանի համար: