Time bomb threat to Georgia

With the background of the developments in Ukraine, there are more and more intensive speculations in Georgia about granting the NATO Membership Action Plan to Georgia. At the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin repeats that he will not allow NATO expansion towards the borders of the Russian Federation.

Under these circumstances, the Armenian MP Shirak Torosyan stated that in the case of Georgia receiving the MAP or NATO membership, unrest will follow in the Georgian territory of Javakheti where an ethnic Armenian population is living and this region might take steps for separating from Georgia.

Torosyan is notorious for his anti-Georgian sentiments. He often makes statements in favor of the ethnic Armenian population in the Javakheti region of Georgia.

During Mikheil Saakashvili’s governance in Georgia, Torosyan was not allowed to enter the country, however, the current Georgian administration has lifted this ban.

In his interview with Panorama, an Armenian news agency, Torosyan mentioned that Georgia becoming a member of NATO would create a confrontation between Russia and NATO and Armenia cannot be indifferent to this situation. Indirectly, it will touch Armenian interests as well because the threat will appear for Yerevan coming from the NATO member Turkey.

Torosyan’s statement has been commented on by the ethnic Armenians in Georgia. Former MP Van Baiburt stated that Torosyan and similar people have no influence in Javakheti. He also mentioned that people of Armenian ethnicity have been integrated to the Georgian population harmoniously.

Another ethnic Armenian, Arnold Stepanian, who is the head of the NGO Multi-National Georgia, stated that Torosyan’s position is not competent and there is no threat that Turkish troops would appear in Georgia. Stepanian also mentioned that the Armenian Diaspora would not be accepted in Georgia as a fifth column.

However, the Georgian analysts think that completely ignoring the possible threats from this site is not a good idea as Russia will definitely try to activate this possible time bomb.

An association in Russia, which unites the representatives from Javakheti, often makes anti-Georgian statements. Some time ago they disseminated the opinion that there is an opportunity for a new state to appear, which would be inhabited by ethnic Armenians in southern region of Georgia.

Definitely, the Georgian foreign policy targeted at integration with the West should consider these threats because under the background of the Ukrainian events these threats cannot be ignored.

Russia can trigger and activate this card as well to prevent Georgia from integrating with NATO. It is known that the Russian President Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev have confirmed that their move in escalating a military confrontation with Georgia in 2008 was determined by Moscow’s position, which did not want Georgia to join NATO.

Many Georgians are frustrated with the Western position, which according to Georgians, has encouraged Russia to attack Georgia when it did not grant Georgia the MAP during the Bucharest Summit in April 2008.

If this time again the West does not stop the Russian aggression against Ukraine in due time, this will definitely signal a green light to the Kremlin to continue its imperialistic moves against other former Soviet Union member states.

Analysts keep repeating that Moldova, Ukraine’s eastern territories, and of course Georgia, and some other states are under threat.

So, now it is NATO’s turn and it’s time for Western countries to make a move which will yield serious results.