November 18, 2006 - 15:23 AMT
Turkey Should Not Hamper EU, It Can Be Bypassed Eventually
The signing of the EU-Armenia Action Plan is a road in two directions: from Europe to the Caucasus and from Caucasus to Europe, analyst from US Richard Giragosian stated in Yerevan. In his words, the Plan provides for economic reforms, as well as military security. «The region should become a zone of military and energy stability. In the future the Action Plan will spread on Morocco, Jordan, Israel and Ukraine. From the geopolitical point of view, EU involvement in South Caucasian countries is also a step from Turkey towards Iran, as Turkey should not hamper EU enlargement. It can be bypassed eventually,» he noted. The EU is a competitor to the US, but at the same time a counterbalance to Russia, he underscored.

As for the Action Plan itself, in the opinion of the American analyst, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia differ much. «Georgia aspires to Europe more actively, using the NATO to that end, Azerbaijan leans towards Central Asia not only in energy, but also in the military field. And only Armenia implements the Plan all alone, proceeding from the barest necessity. The loneliness, along with too close relations with Russia, is dangerous to Armenia. However, Yerevan, not Brussels decides how the events will develop,» Giragosian said.