Defense ministers of the three countries are discussing the issues on protection of communication infrastructures during the military situation
On August 19, a remarkable tripartite meeting was held in Nakhchivan between Zakir Hasanov, Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Irakli Alasania, Georgia’s Defense Minister and Ismet Yilmaz, Turkey’s National Defense Minister. Defense ministers of the three countries discussed the issues on protection of communication infrastructures during the military situation.
In particular, it relates to protection of oil pipelines, gas pipelines, railway, communication and other facilities of strategic significance. An agreement was reached also on conducting mutual exercises for protection of oil and gas pipelines. This is the first meeting of the leaders of the three countries’ law enforcement agencies in this format.
According to the Georgian Defense Minister, Irakli Alasania, the idea of holding a tripartite meeting belongs to Georgia. “We are getting ready for the tripartite meeting long time ago. Last year, Georgia made such a motion, and this is going to be the first official meeting of the three ministers,” mentioned Alasania, adding, “These meetings and the agreements reached under these meetings will be intended to planning of our next steps, in particular, on how our armed forces should act in emergency situations to protect our communication infrastructures, our oil and gas pipelines, and railway, in the event if the military situation is escalated.” The head of Georgia’s defense minister also emphasized that the tripartite meeting is not directed against any party; the initiative aims to regulate the security and defense issues. “On the contrary, such agreements lay additional foundations for the regional stability,” he said.
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Alasania has qualified the relations between the three countries as a strategic partnership, and has emphasized the important role of military cooperation in achieving peace in the region. At the Nakhchivan meeting of defense ministers of the three countries, an agreement was reached between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to conduct joint military exercises. According to Trend news agency, the journalists learned about this from the Azerbaijani defense minister. According to him, the exercises are designed to increase the combat readiness of the armed forces. During the meeting, the ministers also agreed on this format of meeting, twice a year, to conduct joint seminars and conferences, and to establish a three-dimensional format of cooperation in military-education and military-technical industries. Defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia also discussed the military-political situation in the region; they exchanged opinions on issues of security and restoration of stability in the region.
In his interview to НовостиАзербайджан (Azerbaijan News) news agency, Azerbaijani military expert, Uzeyir Jafarov, commenting on the tripartite meeting, qualified it as an initial phase for the establishment of an equivalent to CSTO. “Currently, Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan already have a full cooperation on military industry. Joint exercises and training are held, negotiations are underway on energy supply security, and so on. Now, with regard to processes going on in the world, these countries want to establish a military unity, which over the time will also involve a number of CSTO members.”
He added that the Nakhchivan meeting will be followed by other meetings in Tbilisi and Istanbul, and after the Istanbul meeting, it would become clear about the establishment of the new military unity. “In the initial phase, the agreement may be signed by Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan. But in the prospect, this organization can also include the membership of a number of Turkic-speaking countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, as well as Tajikistan,” noted Jafarov. Defense Ministers of Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan, in fact, are considering the current military-political situation in the region, security-related issues, and are discussing the issues of partnership in military industry, as well as agreeing to conduct joint exercises.
Moreover, they are planning to implement special tripartite exercises for the protection of the oil-gas infrastructures. One gets the impression that the three countries neighboring Armenia are getting prepared for a possible tension in the region, or at least do not rule out such escalation. If official Tbilisi’s alarms were quite understandable even after the signing of the EU Association Agreement, and Moscow’s possible pressures are not ruled out in Georgia, then it is noteworthy to whom Azerbaijan and Turkey consider a threat. Such tripartite meeting, especially after the Sochi tripartite meeting on defense industry, probably, is symbolic for the Azerbaijani authorities.
Most likely, the Azerbaijani authorities are making attempts of self-determination in other unities. After inciting provocation on the Contact line and after introducing a long-term consistent tension on the border, the counter attacks by the Armenian side, and later, the tripartite meeting in Sochi, anyway, were humiliating for official Baku, especially for junior Aliyev. With regard to the Nakhchivan meeting of defense ministers of the three countries, there is no yet a response from Russia and Armenia. Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili will visit Armenian on August 21-22. The Georgian side had informed that Garibashvili would meet Serzh Sargsyan and Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan. The meetings will focus on political and economic issues. The core attention will be on the situation that is being developed between the EU and Georgia after signing of the Association Agreement and Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union.
The parties are planning to discuss the contradictions that have been emerged and to find an acceptable format for interaction. The Armenian side is planning to raise Georgia’s intention of defining a visa regime with Armenia since September 1. Will the Government of Armenia ask the Prime Minister of Georgia about what issues on military-political situation, security-related issues and cooperation in military industry the official Tbilisi is discussing with Turkey and Azerbaijan, and what fears the three countries have?
Emma GABRIELYAN
