----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 7:50 PM Subject: [STOPNATO] new stability plan for the caucasus-My letter of comments STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM STABILITY PACT FOR THE CAUCASUS http://www.ceps.be/Pubs/Caucasus/NDC/Execsumm.htm See above webpage, for details. INTRODUCTION Recently (May 2000), the Centre for European Policy Studies, an independant think-tank in Brussels, issued a Working Document no. 145, discussing a Stability Pact for the Caucasus, on a tridimensional basis : Firstly, setting the relations and governance rules between the three states : Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaidjan, taking into account the territorial and national conflicts among them. Secondly, setting the relations of the two regional powers with the South Caucasian region , namely Turkey and Iran. Thirdly, setting the relations and the interests of the international actors with the South Caucasus region , namely Russia, European Union and United States. Fourthly, setting the relations and the interests of the wider region : Black Sea-Caucasus-Caspian While the plan advocates a relationaship of cooperation to be established between the actors of Southern Caucasus Region and with each of the regional and the international actors, it proposes to make out of Southern Caucasus, a Community, with proper superstructures and infra-structures, the implementation of which, will move this region from a 19th century paradigm towards a 21st century paradigm . WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH A PLAN ? To move away from a 19th Century paradigm, means moving away from alliances and national structures into a situation of integration within supra-national structures. In practical terms, this means to reduce the national tensions between the states and the populations, by creating a COMMUNITY COMMON STRUCTURES OF GOVERNANCE AND REPRESENTATION, WITHOUT CHANGING THE SOVIET-MADE BORDERS BUT REARRANGING THE POWER RELATIONSHIPS AND COMPETENCES BETWEEN THE COMPONENT PARTS OF THESE STATES. A 21st Century paradigm involves regional integration in all matters from economic, to cultural and security. AS THE REPORT STATES : PASSPORTS WOULD CARRY DESIGNATION SOUTH CAUCASUS COMMUNITY , THEN A STATE IDENTITY ARMENIA/AZERBAIDJAN/GEORGIA, THEN IN EXCEPTIONAL CASES, WHEN PROVIDED IN PEACE AGREEMENT, THE INDICATION OF A SPECIFIC CITIZENSHIP OF POLITICAL ENTITIES SUCH AS ABKHAZIA OR NAGORNO KARABAKH. DUAL NATIONALITY (STATE IDENTITY) WOULD BE POSSIBLE. RESIDENTS OF ENTITIES WITH IMPORTANT COMMUNITIES OF ANOTHER STATE ( E.G. ARMENIANS IN NAGORNO KARABAKH) WOULD BE FREE TO CHOOSE EITHER OR BOTH STATE IDENTITY By creating common structures of governance for all of South Caucasus, the member national states lose part of their sovereignty over their respective populations, and their destiny, as territories are governed by a common group. THIS HAS THE EFFECT OF DILUTING THE NATIONAL IDENTITY OF THE NATIONS COMPOSING THE REGION, AND THREATENS PARTICULARLY THE ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN, ABKHAZ AND OTHER NON-TURKISH IDENTITIES. THIS PERMITS THE TURKISH -SPEAKING POPULATIONS , IN A MULTI-ETHNIC SETTING, TO EXPAND TOWARDS ARMENIA AND TOWARDS GEORGIA, WITHIN THE AIM OF PAN-TURKISM WITH ALL ITS CONSEQUENCES. A NEW IDENTITY, VIS-A-VIS THE REST OF THE WORLD, IS TO BE FORGED : CAUCASIAN. GEORGIANS, ABKHAZS, ARMENIANS, AZERI TURKS , LEZGINS ARE ALL CAUCASIANS. THEY HAVE TO GET CLOSER IN TERMS OF CULTURE, RELATIONS AND GOVERNANCE, AND DESTINY. THIS PLAN HAS ALSO THE EFFECT OF DILUTING THE MEANING OF NATIONAL /ANCESTRAL TERRITORY (WHICH IN THE WEST ERRONEOUSLY IS CALLED ETHNIC TERRITORY) AND REMOVES THE LINK OF THE IDENTITY WITH THE TERRITORY. THE TERRITORY REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF THE STATE AND CEASES TO BE THE ANCESTRAL HOMELAND OF A PARTICULAR NATIONALITY. EDUCATION, CULTURE, LANGUAGE, SPORT AND YOUTH ARE SOME OF THE COMPETENCES THAT ARE LEFT TO THE ENTITIES.CONTROL OVER THE NATURAL RESSOURCES OF THE ENTITIES ARE LEFT WITH THE STATE, AND THROUGH THE STATE TO THE COMMON GOVERNING BODY OF THE CAUCAUSUS REGION. THIS PERMITS THE GLOBALIST FORCES (TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATIONS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS) TO EASILY EXPLOIT REGIONS ECONOMICALLY AND TAKE AWAY THEIR NATURAL RESSOURCES. BY CREATING A COMMON PARLIAMENT , WITH DIRECT REPRESENATION FROM STATES AND REGIONS, SOUTH CAUCASUS PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED TOGETHER, WHERE NATIONAL PRIORITIES ARE SACRIFICED TO THE COMMON GOAL. BUT WHICH COMMON GOAL ? CONTESTED TERRITORIES WITH SPECIAL STATUS WILL HAVE THEIR DIRECT REPRESENTATION IN THIS PARLIAMENT. BY CREATING A CIVIL ASSEMBLY, WHERE ALL NGOS, PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE REPRESENTED, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL BE FORCED TO WORK AND IMPLEMENT PROJECTS ON A REGIONAL BASIS AND NOT A NATIONAL/ETHNIC BASIS. AS THE REPORT STATES : THE KEY OBJECTIVE HERE WOULD BE TO BEGIN BUILDING INSTITUTIONS CAPABLE TO DEVELOPING A TRANS-NATIONAL VIEW OF INTERESTS AND PRIORITIES OF THE SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION AS A WHOLE . THE REPORT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE THORNY ISSUE OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS, AS THEY ARE CENTRAL TO ANY SECURITY ARRANGEMENT : RECOGNITION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE BY THE TURKISH STATE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ARE NOT MENTIONED AT ALL IN THE REPORT. THE REPORT PROPOSES SOLUTION OF THE CURRENT CONFLICTS WITHIN THE SOVIET -MADE BOUNDARIES, WITH SPECIAL AGREEMENT IN EACH CASE. THE ISSUE OF THE ARMENIANS OF NAKHICHEVAN AND THE ARMENIANS OF NORTHERN-KARABAGH ARE NOT DISCUSSED AT ALL. AS FOR THE ARMENIANS OF JAVAKHK, A CULTURAL SOLUTION IS PROVIDED RATHER THAN A SEPARATE TERRITORIAL UNIT. THIS STABILITY PLAN PARTICULARLY DILUTES THE ARMENIAN CAUSE (HAI TAD ) : THE IDEA OF UNITED AND INDEPENDANT ARMENIA IS THREATENED. THE HISTORICALLY ARMENIAN LANDS OF KARABAGH, NAKHICHEVAN, NORTHERN KARABAGH, AND DJAVAKHK REMAIN DISSOCIATED FROM THE CURRENT ARMENIAN REPUBLIC. THE TERRITORIAL ISSUE OF WESTERN ARMENIA, UNDER TURKISH OCCUPATION, IT NOT ADDRESSED. THE RETURN OF ARMENIANS TO THEIR ANCESTRAL HOMELAND OF WESTERN ARMENIA, TO NKHICHEVAN AND TO NORTHERN KARABAGH IS NOT ADDRESSED AT ALL. ANOTHER WORDS IT IS A STABILITY PLAN TO PUT INTO THE GRAVE THE ARMENIAN CAUSE, AND CONSEQUENTLY THE ARMENIAN NATION. WHO ARE THE AUTHORS OF THIS REPORT : PROMINENT WEST EUROPEAN SPECIALISTS, WITH COLLABORATION FROM CANADIAN, RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN AND IRANIAN AUTHORS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO TURKISH AUTHORS, HOWEVER THE REPORT CITES THE FOLLOWING : THE TASK FORCE APPRECIATES HAVING BEEN ABLE TO READ A SO FAR UNPUBLISHED ANALYSIS OF PROFESSOR GARETH WINROW OF UNIVERSITY OF ISTANBUL . A KEY MEMBER OF THE TASK FORCE IS : DR .TERRY ADAMS, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE AZERBAIJAN OIL COMPANY. THUS IT CAN BE SEEN THE VISIBLE HAND OF THE OIL INTERESTS AND THEIR DESIGNS FOR THE REGION. THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS SENT BY ANTRANIG BEDROSSIAN TO SOME OF THE KEY MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE AND ITS COLLABORATORS, WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS REGARDING THE REPORT. ACCORDING TO THE COMMENTS OF THE AUTHOR, THIS REPORT TENDS TO BE A PACT OF INSTABILITY RATHER OF A STABILITY FOR THE CAUCASUS. THE LETTER WAS SENT TO MICHAEAL EMERSON, THE CO-CHAIR OF THE TASK FORCE FOR THE CAUCASUS STABILITY PACT, WITH COPIES TO : PROF. BRUNO COPPIETERS, FREE UNIVERSITY OF BRUSSELS NATHALIE TOCCI, CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES,BRUSSELS (RAPPORTEUR) MARIUS VAHL, CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES, BRUSSELS. DR. NICOLAS WHYTE, CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES, BRUSSELS. DR. OKSANA ANTONENKO, INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES, LONDON ROBERT CUTLER, INSTITUTE OF EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN STUDIES, CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA. ABBAS MALEKI, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR CASPIAN STUDIES, TEHR TO THE MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE FOR THE CAUCASUS: Ladies and Gentlemen, Your efforts to prepare a first Working Paper for a Stability Pact for the Caucasus is highly appreciated. Certainly there are shortcomings in this initial preparation. Trying to develop a regional arrangement appropriate for a 21st century paradigm, for a region that represents caracteristics of a 19th century paradigm is full of pitfalls. However, any arrangement proposed for the South Caucasus Region, should also take into account the historical developments that befell to that region between the period 1918-1923, which gave rise to today's territorial and national contested arrangements. What happened during that period: 1) Three independent states of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaidjan were created, with contested borders. 2) Ottoman Turks pursued their Pan-Turkish and anti-Armenian policies in the Southern Caucasus region, with the collaboration of Azeri Turks against the Armenian populations, before and after the arrival of the British forces, after the end of World War I. 3) Western Allies promised justice to the Armenians for the Genocide committed by the Ottoman Turks in Western Armenia and in the rest of Asia Minor, which culminated in the Treaty of Sevres of 1920, recognizing the reunification of sections of Western Armenia to the Republic of Armenia. 4) British generals and diplomats plotted against the Armenians in the case of Nakhichevan, Zankezour (now part of Armenia) and Karabagh, by trying to force these historically Armenian territories with their majority Armenian populations under Azeri rule and domination. Armenians successfully resisted to British pressures, threats and plots, particularly in Zankezour and in Karabagh. 5) As a result of Soviet Russian collaboration with the Turkish Nationalist (or Kemalist) forces, Turkish forces attacked Armenia from the one side, the Red Army advanced from the other side, in order to establish soviet regime in the rest of Armenia. 6) As a result of the Treaty of Moscow, in 1921, the TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF THE INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA WAS BROKEN. The historically Armenian provinces of Kars, Ardahan and Mount Ararat region were left to Turkey (after subjecting to the necessary ethnic cleansing and massacres the local Armenian populations, there are no Armenians there today). Armenian Nakhijevan was also given to Azerbaidjan, which resulted in total de-Armenianization of that territory during the Soviet period. This situation was the result of a deal between Lenin and Kemal, without the participation by the Armenian side. 7) Stalin, from his side, gave the historically Armenian Karabagh (all of Karabagh, app. 15,000 square kilometres) to Azerbaidjan. NKAO was created on small part of that territory, by leaving outside substantial number of Armenian populations. 8)Consequently, Mr. Michael Emerson, any Stability Pact for the Southern Caucasus, should provide for correction of the TERRITORIAL INJUSTICE THAT THE ARMENIANS WERE SUBJECTED TO IN EARLY 1920'S. THIS MEANS IN PRACTICAL TERMS, RESTORATION OF THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF CAUCASIAN ARMENIA, including NAKHICHEVAN, ALL OF KARABAGH (MOUNTAINOUS AND NORTHERN KARABAGH), KARS, ARDAHAN AND MOUNT ARARAT REGIONS (now under Turkish occupation). 9)The Republic of Turkey, until today, refuses to recognize the Genocide of the Armenians in 1915, thus making impossible a security arrangement between Armenia and Turkey. 10) As for JAVAKHK, another Armenian region included within Georgia, it must be made an autonomous republic with the Federal State of Georgia. 11) When these issues are addressed properly by the Tripartite powers:Russia, EU and US, than a real Stability Pact will be possible, otherwise such a Pact is not long-lasting, is a source of INSTABILITY, as it tries to render permanent the injustice to which Armenians were subjected between 1915-1923. Correction of this injustice involves return of Armenians to their ancestral homeland, return of Armenians of Nakhichevan and Northern Karabagh to their respectful ancestral territories. 12) As the president of Nakhijevan Armenian Compatriotic Union of Canada, I am sending below RECENT declarations made by the NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NAKHIJEVAN ARMENIANS, from Armenia, Yerevan, regarding the future of Nakhijevan and their demand for the restoration of their rights of return. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THESE COMMENTS AND INFORMATIONS WILL SPREAD LIGHT AS TO THE UNDERLYING ISSUES AND THE NEED TO ADDRESS THEM CONSCIENTIOUSLY,AS THE INITIAL DRAFTS FOR A PACT IS BEING DEVELOPED. Anranig Bedrossian Montreal, Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb
