Azerbaijani Prisoner of War, Stepanakert, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 1994

True, we’ve been here before with the media reporting that a solution to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh might finally be in sight, but the possibility for peace is once again resurfacing. However, such hopes have always been dashed at the last moment, but what makes the situation different this time round is the active involvement of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in convening a meeting between his Armenia and Azerbaijani counterparts tomorrow in Moscow. RFE/RL has more.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in Moscow on November 2 for potentially decisive talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it was officially announced on Wednesday.

[…]

Medvedev announced his initiative following upbeat statements on Karabakh peace prospects made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In an October 7 interview with the “Rossiiskaya Gazeta” daily, Lavrov described as “very real” chances for the resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. “There remain two or three unresolved issues which need to be agreed upon at the next meetings of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.

The full post where comments can be left is available on The Caucasian Knot.

Mikhail Saakashvili, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

The Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili, has responded to recognition of the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by his Russian counterpart, Dmitri Medvedev. Civil Georgia reports that Saakashvili has called the move a “strategic mistake,” the comments came in a televised address to the nation made yesterday.

“I want everyone to understand one thing: today’s Russian step is totally illegal, with no legal consequences either for Georgia or the rest of the world,” he said.

In his 20-minute address, Saakashvili focused on, as he put it, the importance of the international support that Georgia had gained following the crisis.

“Today, yesterday and in recent weeks, Russia made unimaginable strategic mistakes and struck an unimaginable blow to its place in the international community and in the history of the contemporary world,” he said. “Now Georgia has gained huge international support and solidarity from all over the world and support for our territorial integrity, and we would have failed to gain such huge support, even if we had tried for 200 years, if not for the mistakes made by Russia.”

“The end of the revival of Russia’s imperialism has started today in Georgia,” Saakashvili added.

The full post is available on The Caucasian Knot.

Gori, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

After the failed attempt to enter the Russian-occupied town of Gori in a convoy organized by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union on Saturday, another opportunity emerged two days later when Moscow indicated it would give the order for its troops to leave the town the same day. Nobody believed them, of course, but the international media pack in town had to be there just in case. Reuters had decided to leave for Gori at 7 in the morning while AFP would start out a little later at 9.30.

Given that we had to get into Gori, a town where 90 percent of the population had already fled following Russian cluster-bomb attacks and where Russian troops now patrolled the streets, we decided to leave at 8.30 am. The plan was to travel alongside the New York Times’ car which would otherwise try to sneak in if the Russians weren’t true to their word. Despite the risk of running into South Ossetian militia, the need to find alternate routes into Gori really was necessary.

Just under 50 miles from Tbilisi, the birthplace of the Soviet dictator Josef Stalin was now the most strategically important town in the country. Controlling it, especially after the bombing of a railway bridge on the outskirts of nearby Kaspi, the Russians had effectively cut off the main transport route connecting East and West. Most of its inhabitants had fled creating a considerable problem with IDPs and everyone was expecting the Russians to finally leave.

And for a while at least all indications where that this might happen. In the last part of the Georgian-controlled section of the Gori road, dozens of local police dressed smartly and brandishing semi-automatic weapons stood alongside the road with their vehicles parked a little way ahead. It seemed more like preparations for a publicity event than security, and after passing the first Russian military checkpoint at Igoeti, there even appeared to be less tanks dug-in alongside of the road.

Russian military petrol tankers were heading towards Tbilisi as well, as if to refuel any vehicles for the journey back to South Ossetia. Closer to Gori, dozens of cars and vans transporting the international media brigade to Gori stood in line at another Russian military checkpoint where soldiers checked passports. Perhaps the first sign that all was not as it seemed came when one Georgian photographer was told in no uncertain terms, “Take any photographs and we’ll smash your cameras.”

Already the signs were ominous and our worst fears were confirmed when an effective convoy of journalists from the BBC, ABC, CNN, Reuters, AFP, AP and many more reached the final roadblock a mile outside Gori. Refused entry, Russian soldiers instructed the media that they were not authorized to enter until an unnamed General arrived to escort us in. No prizes for guessing that the General in question never materialized.

The full post is available on The Caucasian Knot.

Russian soldier, Igoeti, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

It was meant to be the day to check the situation of IDPs in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, but a routine call to a government media coordinator changed all of that. Peter Semenby, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, and Urmas Paet, the Estonian Foreign Minister, were planning to visit Gori, the strategic town occupied by Russian forces 47 miles West of Tbilisi.

With numerous cases of journalists being targeted and even killed in and around Gori, the chance to enter was one that couldn’t be missed. The town had already been hit twice by Russian cluster bombs and most of the population had fled. South Ossetian militia were operating in the area and Georgians as well as international organization staff were most adamant — DO NOT visit Gori.

The International News Safety Institute (INSI) explains why:

Widespread looting is being reported in Gori with reports that some news teams were forced to give up their equipment.

[…]

On Sunday, a BBC team near a Russian checkpoint came under rocket fire from aircraft near Gori. No one was wounded but they had a narrow escape.

[…]

Journalists should still be extremely cautious around Gori and I would caution against going north to any of the villages en route to Tshinvali / Chinvali

[…]

Russian General Viacheslav Borisov refused to assume responsibility for lives of the journalists in Gori.

Georgian journalist of GPB TV Company Tamar Urushadze was shot presumably by sniper in live broadcast near Gori. Journalist was slightly wounded in the hand.

Four Israeli journalists, including Haaretz correspondent Anshel Pfeffer and photographer Nir Kafri, were robbed at gunpoint by Russian soldiers in the Georgian city of Gori.

Russian military attacked operator of Georgian TV Rustavi2 and threatening with gun he prevented journalist to implement his duties near Gori.

Early afternoon. 3 journalists of Canadian CBC TV including head of the Moscow office were robbed of their car, equipment and other belongings by paramilitary presumably of North Caucasian origin near Gori. Accident happened near Russian soldiers who took no efforts to stop the robbery.

[…]

Czech journalists were robbed in the vicinity of the town of Gori last night. Several persons attacked them and took away their car and video and photo cameras. The journalists have said that the assailants were not Russians. They assume that the marauders looked like Chechens. After an hour-long captivity the journalists arrived in Tbilisi on foot although they were unable to reclaim the cameras or other technical means.

[…]

A Georgian journalist covering his country’s conflict with Russia was killed Tuesday when a shell hit their car in Gori city, an AFP photographer at the scene said.

His driver also died in the mid-morning incident, said the photographer, who saw the journalist’s ID card and the stricken vehicle in the main square of Gori alongside a huge statue of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

[…]

A Dutch television journalist was killed overnight when Russian warplanes bombed the central Georgian city of Gori.

[…]

The television news station RTL reported on its Web site that its cameraman Stan Storimans, 39, was killed and correspondent Jeroen Akkermans was wounded in the leg in the attack. RTL said, in all, five people died in the Gori bombing.

The full post is available on The Caucasian Knot.

Mikhail Saakashvili, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2008

Almost everybody was waiting for Friday’s joint press conference with the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and the Georgian president, Mikhail Saakashvili — literally. With Georgian forces having been defeated by the Russian military in South Ossetia and parts of Georgia proper now under Moscow’s control, over a hundred journalists turned up at the new presidential palace currently under construction in Tbilisi.

Condoleezza Rice had brought with her a six-point ceasefire agreement for Saakashvili to sign, and neither seemed to be too happy with it. Rice was stern-faced and Saakashvili at times exasperated and flustered. Neither, perhaps, was as exhausted as the media pack which had to wait three hours for the scheduled press conference to begin in the scorching sun. Still, the presidential staff did supply free chilled Georgian mineral water after the first hour of waiting.

And I suppose when Russian troops are literally less than forty minutes away from your capital, it’s no wonder that proceedings were so delayed. Unfortunately, however, one film crew from the BBC couldn’t wait any longer and nor could journalists from some other significant international publications. As for myself, I have to admit, I was as interested in witnessing the Georgian president speak in person.

In a joint news conference with Ms Rice following nearly five hours of talks, Mr Saakashvili said he would never accept any part of his country being occupied.

He gave an emotional address, referring to Russia as “cold-blooded killers” and “barbarians”, and he said that Georgia was now “looking evil directly in the eye”.

But Mr Saakashvili also criticised the West for failing to react strongly enough to previous Russian military moves and for not granting his country Nato membership earlier this year.

Ms Rice said that Russia had to accept Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and demanded a withdrawal of all Russia military from Georgia “at once”.

But as the pair spoke, there were reports of Russian anti-personnel carriers moving closer towards the Georgian capital, setting up a new checkpoint about 35km (22 miles) outside Tbilisi.

The full post is available on The Caucasian Knot.

Full coverage of the military confrontation between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway territory of South Ossetia can be found on The Caucasian Knot. In particular, the site links to opinion and commentary from bloggers, journalists and analysts. The Caucasian Knot is at http://blog.oneworld.am,

Meeting up with Tom de Waal in Yerevan earlier this month, we joked that journalists should now avoid the cliché term “window of opportunity” when it comes to continuing peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. Well, this news item from RFE/RL avoids the phrase, but once again refers to perhaps unrealistic hopes that a framework peace agreement can be signed before next year’s presidential election i.e within the next four months.

International mediators said they still hope to broker a framework peace accord on Nagorno-Karabakh before the presidential elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan as they began yet another round of regional shuttle diplomacy on Wednesday.

The chief U.S. Karabakh negotiator, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, insisted that the conflicting parties are “very close” to fully agreeing on the basic principles of a Karabakh settlement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group.

President Robert Kocharian said earlier this month that despite substantial progress made in Armenian-Azerbaijan peace talks, the conflict is unlikely to be resolved before the Armenian and Azerbaijani elections.

“Unlikely means less than 50 percent,” Bryza told RFE/RL before he and the Minsk Group’s French and Russian co-chairs went into talks with Kocharian and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. “It can mean 49 percent, 48 percent, which is maybe not much different than ‘likely.’”

[…]

“Whether the agreement comes before the elections or shortly after, we are, as we say in American English, in the ballpark and it’s time to put the ball in the net,” he said.

Baku and Yerevan are understood to have already accepted the main points of the Minsk Group’s existing peace plan. It calls for a gradual resolution of the conflict would enable Karabakh’s predominantly Armenian population to decide the disputed region’s status in a referendum years after the liberation of surrounding Azerbaijani territories. Diplomatic sources privy to the negotiating process say the parties still disagree on practical modalities of the proposed referendum as well as the timetable for Armenian withdrawal from those territories.

(more…)

Reuters reports that Turkey has launched military strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps in Iraq. The brief incursion involved airstrikes and ground troops. Thirty-four Kurdish rebels are believed killed with no Turkish casualties. The military action comes as Turkey threatens a major incursion into Northern Iraq following the adoption of a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide in the U.S., and the deaths of 12 soldiers near the border on Sunday.

Turkish warplanes and troops have attacked Kurdish rebels inside Iraq and forces were being built up on the border, but Ankara was holding back from any major strike for now, military sources said on Wednesday.

News of the sorties, between Sunday and Tuesday evening in which Turkish warplanes flew 20 km (13 miles) into Iraq and some 300 ground troops advanced about 10 km, put Baghdad under greater pressure to act against PKK rebels operating from the north of its territory.

[…]

Turkey, which has NATO’s second biggest army, has deployed as many as 100,000 troops, backed by tanks, F-16 fighter jets and helicopter gunships, along the mountainous border in preparation for a possible large-scale strike.

[…]

“Further ‘hot pursuit’ raids into northern Iraq can be expected, though none have taken place so far today (Wednesday),” a military official said.

As conflict in Iraq continues to grab international headlines while the citizens of many countries with troops making up part of the U.S.-led coalition question their deployment, former Soviet and Eastern bloc republics seem more eager to send troops. In January, Armenia sent a fresh contingent of troops to Iraq despite criticism from the country’s ethnic Armenian population. Earlier this week, two ethnic Armenian women were killed by foreign security guards.

However, while the Armenian and Azerbaijani contingents in Iraq are reported to number 46 and 150 personnel respectively, the Georgian force numbers 2,000. Keen to prove itself and eventually join NATO, the Georgian contingent is now the subject of a New York Times photo story. The Travel Photographer has more.

The New York Times featured photographs of Georgian troops being sent to Kut, an area near Iran, in a recent slideshow. Its accompanying article tells us that at a time when other countries (such as Great Britain) are pulling troops out as fast as they can, Georgia has more than doubled its troop levels in Iraq to 2,000 soldiers.

What’s in it for Georgia, you ask? Ah, well…Georgia seeks NATO membership as a security guarantee against Russia, and by sending its troops to Iraq, its politicians hope that the United States will reciprocate by supporting Georgia’s membership. This is what is defined as realpolitik.

The NYT photo story, From the Caucasus to the Fertile Crescent, is here.

RFE/RL reports that the opposition Orinats Yerkir party has also joined government critics of a bill introduced by Raffi Hovannisian’s Heritage party which would officially recognize the independence of the self-declared Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, a mainly Armenian inhabited breakaway territory in neighboring Azerbaijan. I think nobody expected this bill to be taken seriously, and I’m afraid some concern does has to be raised as to why it was even suggested in the first place.

Raffi Hovannisian, the leader of the Zharangutyun Party, introduced on Tuesday a relevant draft law in the National Assembly and urged the pro-government majority there to promptly debate and pass it. Majority leaders, however, rejected the initiative, saying that it would only undermine international efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict.

Mher Shahgeldian, deputy chairman of Orinats Yerkir, made similar arguments as he presented his party’s position on the issue. “If it was possible to solve the problem by such acts, many countries with such national-liberation causes would have done so,” he said. “We advocate a pro-Armenian solution to the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh and believe that the conflict’s settlement within the framework of international structures more than corresponds to this principle.”

Parliament speaker Tigran Torosian and other majority leaders claimed on Tuesday that the Zharangutyun bill is a publicity stunt aimed at earning Hovannisian and his party more political points.

Karabakh declared itself an independent state in 1991 shortly after breaking away from Azerbaijani rule but has since failed to win formal recognition by any country of the world, including Armenia. The current and former authorities in Yerevan have resisted domestic calls to recognize the dispute territory’s independence, saying that such a move would only have a symbolic significance and antagonize the international community.

15.2 km South of Lachin, Kashatagh Region, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh © Onnik Krikorian / Oneworld Multimedia 2006

Not one country in the world recognizes the existence of the self-declared Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, the mainly Armenian inhabited territory situated within Azerbaijan. Despite having its armed forces involved in the conflict, this also includes Armenia. Now, Raffi Hovannisian, founder and parliamentary leader of the opposition Heritage party, has introduced a bill in the National Assembly that would formally recognize the independence and existence of the second Armenian republic.

The Heritage Party’s parliamentary leader Raffi K. Hovannisian today introduced in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia a law officially to recognize the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh (Artsakh). This first of Heritage’s legislative initiatives, once duly adopted, signed and entered into force, will bestow Armenia’s long-awaited de jure recognition upon the de facto sovereign state established pursuant to international and Soviet laws at Stepanakert in 1991.

(more…)