Posted on 08/28/2008 9:36:41 AM PDT by F-117A
Landlocked and poor, Armenia is looking even more vulnerable. Most of its fuel and much of its grain comes through Georgia's Black Sea ports, which are virtually paralyzed. The capital city of Yerevan is already experiencing a serious fuel shortage, where many filling stations have halted sales of gasoline and supplies of key commodities such as jet fuel and wheat are dwindling. Armenia is reportedly trying to secure additional fuel supplies through Iran, its only remaining neighbor whose border remains open.
This is the moment for Turkey to step forward. By re-opening the rail line linking the eastern province of Kars to Armenia, which then hooks up with both the Georgian and Azerbaijani grids, Turkey could both expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid to Georgia's war-ravaged north and help avert the looming crisis in Armenia. Azerbaijan would benefit too. But its leaders, who oppose the slightest contact between Turkey and Armenia, are sure to disagree.
(Excerpt) Read more at turkishdailynews.com.tr ...
"Turkey has several key demands. The first is that Armenia declare that it has no territorial claims on Turkey. The second is that Armenia shelve its backing for its diaspora's campaign for international genocide recognition..."
Colonel Seyran Shahsuvarian, a spokesman for the Armenian Defense Ministry, told RFE/RL that Armenia’s cooperation programs with NATO have not been affected by the growing acrimony that has fueled talk of another “cold war” between Russia and the West. “There have been no changes in our cooperation with NATO,” he said. “It’s business as usual.” Shahsuvarian made clear that Armenian peace-keeping troops will continue to serve in Kosovo and Iraq as part of multinational forces led by NATO and the United States respectively.
As recently as in June, the number of Armenian soldiers deployed in the former Serbian province since early 2004 was doubled to 70. Armenia also sent about 50 non-combat military personnel in Iraq later in 2004. It went on to sign an “individual partnership action plan,” or IPAP, with NATO a year later. The deployments and the launch of IPAP underscored Yerevan’s desire to complement its military alliance with Moscow with closer defense and security links with the West. Those ties will also be highlighted by a NATO-led military exercises that are scheduled to take place in Armenia from September 29 through October 21. More than a thousand soldiers representing 21 nations, including the U.S. and Georgia, are expected to practice joint military operations. Shahsuvarian said the drills will go ahead despite the uncertain security situation in Georgia. “Armenia is preparing for the NATO exercises,” he said. “Everything is going according to plan.”
Ain’t nothing free in this life...
...and right now, Armenia needs Turkish help.
So they better be ready to pay ‘something’ to get it.
Besides, it’s a standard negotiating tactic to ask for the sun, moon, and all the stars in the sky when first coming to the table.
It’s what they agree to afterwards that’s important.
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