Posted on 01/26/2006 11:14:53 PM PST by jb6
Ex-South Ossetian Economy Minister Gennady Kokoyev has given an interview to a REGNUM correspondent.
REGNUM: Mr Kokoyev, today we are witness to deterioration in the Russian-Georgian relations. Georgia accused Russia of deliberate diversions at gas pipelines. How do you think, will it affect political relations of Georgia and South Ossetia, which is also left without gas today? Will South Ossetia become a part of gas and therefore a political crisis?
It should be noted that Georgians have it in their blood, to start accusing either Russia or Ossetia in everything. We all do remember, how last year Ossetians were accused of staging blasts of electric power lines in Georgia and a terror act in Gori (a Georgian town not far from Tskhinvali — REGNUM). The same thing can be seen today. How can a state leader make such statements when there are no results of the investigation, we do not know who was initiator and executor of the diversions. The scene is adjacent to Ingushetia, it could have been done by extremists in the long run. I think, Georgian allegations towards Russia are just incorrect. Georgia should not forget that Caucasus has its own world, its own mentality, and Georgia thanks to its short-sighted has lost all its friends in North Caucasus and in a part of Transcaucasus. As for whether the current state of affairs can deteriorate the political situation over South Ossetia, I don’t think so. Georgia has never tried to stabilize its relations with Georgia with South Ossetia. I don’t think that subversive acts on the Russian-Georgian gas pipeline would influence on relations of Georgia and South Ossetia.
REGNUM: Today, Georgia simultaneously with accusing Russia of diversions is expressing its ideas that the Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia are useless and inactive. Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili accuses the peacekeepers of staging terror acts, illegal arms trafficking and threatens, by the way, to support the accusations by documents.
South Ossetia has repeatedly announced that the peacekeeping forces are guaranteeing stability in the conflict zone, although I can give another definition: it is not a conflict zone; it is the zone of Georgian aggression against South Ossetia. Withdrawal of the peacekeepers will do no good to our territory. Georgia should not labor under a delusion that by a decision of its parliament it can withdraw peacekeepers from South Ossetia. It is well known that neither Georgia nor its parliament deployed the peacekeepers in South Ossetia, so they are not to decide whether to withdraw them. Today, all the rest forces, North and South Ossetia, Russia, do categorically oppose to withdrawal of the Blue Helmets. Georgia should not labor a delusion either that even if it succeeds in withdrawing the peacekeepers, it will soon cope with South Ossetia. Russia is a stabilizing factor not only in South Ossetia but in Georgia too. There is nothing bad in it. Without Russia, Georgia would have stopped its existence long ago and disintegrated to small counties. Russia has repeatedly saved Georgians and one should not forget about it. And Mr. Okruashvili and company should undergo a psychiatric examination.
REGNUM: Probably, today, when South Ossetia was left without gas itself, the question of construction a gas pipeline from North Ossetia to South Ossetia becomes vital again…
The question has been vital for us all the time. Gas supplies directly from Russia will be an economically expedient measure. Please, note that South Ossetia is very disciplined and solvent in paying for gas and electricity. Georgia can have debts to Gazprom of many millions, and no one threatens to cut it off. And in case South Ossetia owes some pennies to Georgia, it immediately threatens with a cut-off.
Has Putin overplayed his hand? Will he cause Europe and other gas customers to find alternative sources? What are the options?
Let's hope Global warming kicks in soon so we won't have to rely on gas anymore for heating!
I looooooove to read Russian state owned, communist mafia supporting sources. Georgia has no enemies in the Caucasus region except of Russian goverment and his two commie puppets, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
In other words, nothing has changed from the USSR days. But, back to my question, is there another source of gas for Georgia, Ukraine, and eastern Europe other than Russia?
So many adjectives in one sentence, your mind must be spinning.
You would say that about elected governments, they're not your cup of tea, especially those who don't sell their souls to the Gay Parade that is the EU. Like you did.
Oh and for the record, Armenians are not friends of Georgia either and the Azerbajanies are lukewarm at best.
Yes, they're all in bed with Iran to make the Mullahs rich by running a pipeline up from Iran.
Eastern European states from the south, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary might be connected with this region through Turkey (Nabucco pipeline project). I don’t know wherever extending this pipeline further would be profitable from the economic point of view.
That would include Putin too, wouldn't it? If so, that tends to undercut his power to use gas as a weapon against the republics. I must be missing something.
Thanks. That is the information I was seeking.
From the Eastern European’s perspective Iran might be more reliable supplier than Russia. Iran hasn’t imperial ambitions in this region. So if US doesn’t like it, then must offer something else instead.
Oh you'll get something. Deal with the Iranians and you get a twofer...gas and extremism.
US friendship with the three countries in this region is strong. Georgia still remains part of the friendship with the other two via US. The other two cannot ignore this.
Just the way Russia was a "stabilizing factor" in Afghanistan after they invaded the country after Uncle Brezhnev told Jimmy Carter he would never ...lol.
Was Russian a wonderful "stabilizing factor" in Hungary in 56 & Checkoslovakia in 68, Poland in the 1980's? Jezz, that Berlin Wall, now that was was absolutely ...stabilizing.....
Russia's a real "stabilizing factor" with Putin's arms shipments to Syria, Hugo Chavez, and let's not forget 'rat boy' Ahmadinejad.
The UN tyrannizes and violates Georgia with its Russian mercenary force while inside Russia's own borders the jihadists run wild and the world still waits for Putin to retaliate for Beslan.
That sums it up accurately.
As for retaliation, well, outside of the fact that several hundred islamics have been killed (its amazing you never show up on those threads, even when pinging) the next strike would have to be in Georgia's Pankisy Gorge, where the Islamics have free access to the borders. I, personally, am all for taking out their camps on the other side of it.
Wow, and did you know Breznov wasn't Russian? Oh, bet that blows your mind, since you are incapable of understanding (or just to hate filled and need to rage on some ethnic group) that the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Of course the fact that it was the Pakistani assassination of the Afghan king in 1973 that destabilized the region is also to much for you to comprehend. Just like you can't ever compute the fact that the Russians were the main suppliers of our allies the N.Alliance who won the land war in Afghanistan to get rid of the Taliban.
Wow, how am I not surprised that you would defend this?
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