Georgia is on the verge of partition by "historical borders"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Thus, Turkey is determined to split up Georgia, leaving her with only historical regions (Kartli, Shida Kartli (Gori) and Kakheti), which in 1783 were placed under the Russian patronage according to the Treaty of Georgievsk. The rest, i.e. independent Ajaria, Azerbaijani Kvemo-Kartli (Borchali) and the Turk-Meskhets will be distributed «by rights». It is obvious that under such distribution Javakhk may pass to Armenia, if the sides come to an agreement.

As Turk diplomats claim such federation would be the only guarantee for preservation of Georgia's territorial integrity. But the question is which Georgia we mean - present Georgia, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia or the Georgia of 1918. There is an impression that the term "territorial integrity" has turned into a song which is sung throughout the world in or out of place.

Nevertheless, talks on Georgia's partition are already in circulation and it is not difficult to foresee Georgia's future, especially in case President Saakashvili decides on another reckless military attempt, like the August operation, which, by the way, is quite probable on the eve of the US Presidential Elections… But who will serve as an object for «recovering the constitutional order» this time? It can hardly be Javakhk, as in this case Turkey's intervention would be inevitable, whereas in all probability Saakashvili would be reluctant to strain relations with Turkey. The latter is a member of NATO and can simply block Georgia's getting a Membership Action Plan (MAP). Thus, the Georgian President dug his own hole, where he can hardly manage to rise from. The spasmodic attempts to call the West and especially the United States for help are like a voice crying in the wilderness. The world is busy with the financial crisis and Georgia's problems do not worry it much. However, Tbilisi is reluctant to understand it.

In fact what we have now is a totally new Georgia. If we trace the country's development since 1991, i.e. after the USSR breakdown, it becomes clear that Tbilisi has been experiencing nothing but losses. Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the First President of the Republic of Georgia, led the country into the chaos of the Civil War, losing Abkhazia. During the reign of Eduard Shevardnadze Ajaria was actually an independent region, which only Mikhail Saakashvili was able to return to Georgia. Now Georgia has lost South Ossetia and, finally, Abkhazia.

Separatist tendencies that exist in the republics of the former USSR once more underline the illogical and inaccurate division of borders, fixed before the World War II. By the way the republics, whose borders are more or less accurate, do not face conflicts, Armenia being among them. On the other hand it is rather inappropriate to speak of the «accuracy» of borders, as the current world map gives too broad interpretations on the precision of this or that border…

Concerning Georgia there is also another consideration that prevails over all others. It is the transportation of energy resources. Unfortunately Mikhail Saakashvili used to believe that without him oil would never get to Europe. However, with the beginning of the military operations in South Ossetia, Turkey and Azerbaijan ceased to trust Tbilisi, considering that unruly Mikhail Saakashvili might put at stake the normal functioning of oil-pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and gas-line Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum. After all, the above-mentioned pipelines both pass through Ajaria, Kvemo-Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti. Thus, the major war in the Caucasus is still ahead. And if we also take into account the fact that together with Turkey Russia is rapidly increasing its presence in the Caucasus, Administration of the future US President is going to face great difficulties.

Meanwhile, RF Foreign Ministry declares that Georgia is trying to launch another war in the Caucasus. The reason for this declaration has been a number of terrorist acts in the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as in the buffer zone of these republics. RF Foreign Ministry Department of Information and Press states: "There is an impression that certain powers in Tbilisi are consciously straining the situation in the region and are trying to provoke new military operations through a series of terrorist acts".

Karine Ter-Sahakyan