Armenia-Georgia: "friendship" with connotation

"Georgia and the Georgian people must be sure that there is no threat or provocation in the actions of Armenia and the Armenian people". Such uotation from the speech of Nikol Pashinian on May 31 in Akhalkalaki is given by the Armenian media.

The fact that one of the first visits of the new prime minister, who came to power in Armenia, was made to the neighboring Georgia, as well as the program of his stay in this country, as well as many complimentary phrases addressed to hosts who heartly welcomed him, attracted a certain attention among observers. Some of them even began to speculate about the opening of a new page in relations between the two states, which from now on will be built on the basis of mutual respect and support. Thus, they, albeit involuntarily, admit that in the past, not everything in Armenia-Georgia relations looked problem-free.

As you know, the best criterion determining the consistency of a theory is practice, and the sincerity of the declarations of leaders reflecting the political behavior of their countries. So, if you look at the significant steps that Armenia has taken, or, conversely, has not done towards Georgia in the past two or three weeks, that is, after the "triumph of democracy" in Yerevan, then the picture begins to appear in less bright tones. One need only recall the fact of unhindered entry into the Republic of Armenia on May 11, stay there and leave it on May 15 this year. a certain citizen with a "passport" issued by the separatist authorities of Abkhazia. Yes, the publicity of this in social networks was caused by the "on-call" protest of several Armenian NGOs, but there is still no available information about the condemnation and concrete measures on the part of state authorities in Yerevan.

Further more. As is known, on May 29 this year, the news was spread that the government of the Syrian Arab Republic recognized the "independence" of the separatist regions of Georgia. A large number of countries condemned this step and once again expressed support for the territorial integrity of Georgia. Among them was Azerbaijan, which is the initiator of major infrastructure projects, one of the main beneficiaries of which is Georgia. However, the swearing mouth of the head of government in friendship and brotherhood the Republic of Armenia is not in a hurry to express its official position.

But its not only official Yerevan who demonstrates such shyness. It makes the right efforts only if it fits its interests. Take at least inclusion of the aforementioned visit to the Samtskhe-Javakheti region in the program of the visit of the head of the Armenian government in Georgia. It should be noted that all the visits that have been made  over the past 27 years to Tbilisi have not yet taken such a step, preferring not to advertise the covert support for the smoldering focus of separatism in this predominantly Armenian-populated region of Georgia. Today, under the repeated mantra of friendship and brotherhood, Yerevan decided not to be shy in demonstrating its priorities.

As the main argument of their best intentions, Armenia proposed the intensification of the process of its use of transportation and communication capabilities of Georgia, including the launch on the legally unclear basis of transit corridors through the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia current uncontrolled by legal authorities. In this case, Armenia would receive a reliable way to foreign markets, especially the Eurasian Economic Union, and Georgia - a very small (considering the Armenian economy scale with consequential volume of transshipment) cash receipts and much more serious political risks, fraught with significant it damages the strategic national interests.
Armenia's interest in the Georgian transit is obvious and transparent. But the benefits of Georgia in today's regional realities look rather phantom. It should also take into account that even if at the currently existing scenario, immersed in a deep economic and social crisis, Armenia is trying to impose on Georgia like "friendship" in his own way, we can only guess, what will be the appetites of Yerevan on these zigzags of a mountain road with one-way traffic.

Thus, returning to the quote, which served as the initial message, is it not time in Tbilisi to think: perhaps we have only a Freudian keyslip...

News.Az

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