KAZAKHSTAN MAY IMPEDE PEACE IN THE REGION
Support A1+!The Ambassador to Kazakhstan in Armenia Aimdos Bozzhigitov presented today the “Road to Europe” program, which Kazakhstan plans to implement in 2009-2011. The Ambassador did not conceal the fact that the basis for cooperation between Kazakhstan and other countries is economic interest.
Kazakhstan’s “Road to Europe” program was presented in Armenia with the initiative of the Council of Europe, which had commended the job to the Yerevan school of political courses of the Council of Europe.
Among participants of the discussion were representatives of political forces of the National Assembly, Foreign Affairs Ministry officials, diplomats and NGO representatives. Accepting the fact that Kazakhstan has turned into a key player in the region, participants of today’s discussion took note that Kazakhstan must combine its economic interest with other circumstances for maintaining peace and security in the region.
“Today Kazakhstan plays a key role as a country that has an enormous amount of power-generating resources. It is the second largest country with petroleum, gas and uranium and the fifth largest wheat producing country. Many European, American and Russian companies are drawing their attention to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is leading a versatile foreign policy and all countries are tolerating that,” said today NA deputy Armen Ashotyan.
Aside from Kazakhstan’s advantages, Ashotyan talked about Kazakhstan’s unilateral, crippled economic policy in the South Caucasus in presence of the Ambassador and said:
“That underlines the difference in economic development between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In other words, Kazakhstan contributes to Azerbaijan’s increase in income, makes it become more bellicose and thus, cripples the military balance in the region. Kazakhstan may contribute to instability by losing to the militarization of a country in the region.”
Ashotyan believes that Kazakhstan must lay down the condition that the profits or proceeds from investments must not be spent on militarization.
As far as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is concerned, Kazakhstan has declared that it will hold a neutral stance in the case of restart of military operations. Participants of today’s discussion reminded the Ambassador that Kazakhstan is a member of the CSTO and is obliged to support member countries in the case of a start of military operations.
What is Kazakhstan planning on doing if military operations begin on the Armenian-Azeri border? In response to that, the Ambassador said: “Kazakhstan is in favor of the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.”
During today’s discussion, one of the participants stated that it is harder to establish cooperation with Kazakhstan due to the lack of a general border and that the August events in Georgia and Osetia showed that the Georgian road is not too promising.
Diplomat David Hovhannisyan took note that in that case, Armenia can’t cooperate with the U.S. and other European countries. He proposed to the Kazakh Ambassador to cooperate with Armenia in the framework of the Meiendorf declaration.
“It is a great opportunity to cooperate for peace and security in the region, even in the framework of only one point,” said Hovhannisyan.
