Politics
Medvedev heads to Baku amid growing tensions in South Caucasus
Reading Time: 4 minutesAmid a colorful firework display, Azerbaijan raised a massive version of its national flag on September 1 that it claims is the worlds largest, at 70 meters by 35 meters long and a whopping 350 kilograms.
Amid a colorful firework display, Azerbaijan raised a massive version of its national flag on September 1 that it claims is the world’s largest, at 70 meters by 35 meters long and a whopping 350 kilograms.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, presiding over the unveiling of the $32-million National Flag Square in Baku, said he could foresee the day when the country’s blue, red, and green flag would fly freely over all Azerbaijani territory — including the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Our flag is our pride and our soul," Aliev told the crowd. "It will fly over Karabakh, Khankendi, and Shusha. And we all should work hard to bring this day closer and we are doing it. Long live Azerbaijan!"
It is in this atmosphere that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev travels today to what is arguably the most powerful of the three South Caucasus countries.
His two-day visit to oil-rich Azerbaijan won’t be all smiles and handshakes. While Medvedev’s trip formally revolves around a border agreement and water-sharing projects, knottier issues like energy strategy and perceived Russian favoritism in the region are also expected to be on the table.
Originally due in late September, the meeting was bumped forward by the Kremlin, now coming just ahead of a scheduled trip by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the United States for the UN General Assembly and meetings with U.S. officials.
"Medvedev’s visit is somewhat preventive, to keep Azerbaijan from having closer geopolitical relations with the West," Rasim Musabekov, a Baku-based political analyst, tells RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service. "Russia will try to persuade Azerbaijan with promises or solving some problems. But I believe Azerbaijan will never fall under Russia’s sole influence."
Open Sore
One of the problems Baku may be looking to Moscow to address is Azerbaijan’s chronic dispute with neighboring Armenia. The two sides remain locked in a historical standoff over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian-majority enclave located within Azerbaijani borders.
Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a brutal six-year war over the territory that ended only with a cease-fire in 1994. But Nagorno-Karabakh’s final status remains unresolved, and the situation in and around the enclave remains volatile.
A day ahead of Medvedev’s arrival, Azerbaijan announced a skirmish on the enclave’s heavily guarded border had left three Armenian and two Azerbaijani soldiers dead. A similar clash took place in June, just days after Medvedev hosted peace talks between Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, in St. Petersburg.
Few observers in the conspiracy-prone region see the timing of the attacks as a mere coincidence. (In addition to Medvedev’s visit, today also marks Nagorno-Karabakh independence day, with a number of top Armenian politicians traveling to the enclave’s capital, Stepanakert, for celebrations.)
Vafa Guluzadeh, a former presidential adviser on Azerbaijani foreign policy, tells RFE/RL he believes Russia’s Defense Ministry may have helped orchestrate the fighting in order to weaken Azerbaijani resolve during Medvedev’s visit.
"They’re orchestrating all the fighting on the cease-fire line. Maybe [the latest clash], coming just before Medvedev’s visit to Azerbaijan, is a way of putting political or military pressure on the Azerbaijani side to be more flexible. Maybe it’s a hint. [Russia] wants to say, ‘We’re able to continue our aggression. We’re able to continue our occupation of Azerbaijani territory.’" Guluzadeh says. "They are the masters of all the warlords in the Armenian army. That’s why everything that’s happening on the cease-fire line is the responsibility of the Russian Federation and its leadership."
Russia’s Role
Russia has a long-standing regional allegiance with Armenia, and Medvedev’s trip to Baku comes just two weeks after he and Sarkisian signed a deal extending Moscow’s military presence in Armenia and pledging to ensure Armenian security.
That deal raised hackles in Azerbaijan, which has periodically threatened to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh impasse by force. Officials in Baku suggested with the treaty, Moscow was handing an unfair advantage to Armenia in a dispute where the Kremlin has sought to portray itself as a fair broker.
Russia has dismissed the notion that the renewed lease in any way changes the equation on Nagorno-Karabakh. (It also denies reports it is selling a powerful antiaircraft system to Azerbaijan.)
In fact, Moscow isn’t holding all the cards as Aliyev and Medvedev gather for talks.
Russia’s lease on Azerbaijan’s Gabala radar station, which covers all of Iran and most of the Middle East, is set to expire in 2012.
Elkhan Shahinoglu, the head of the Atlas Research Center, a Baku-based think-tank, says it shouldn’t be assumed the lease will be renewed.
"The Russian president signing the military agreement with Armenia changed the situation in the region," Shahinoglu says. "For example, we should think twice before extending the lease on the Gabala radar station — should we do it after this anti-Azerbaijani pact or not?"
Hydrocarbon Clout
Azerbaijan’s vast oil and gas reserves also give it considerable leverage in its dealings with Russia. Moscow is eager to cement its monopoly of supply lines to the West, and has sought to thwart European-backed projects like Nabucco, which is designed to circumvent Russian territory and rely on non-Russian suppliers — including Azerbaijan.
Medvedev, during a trip to Baku last year, signed a deal that gave the Russian energy giant Gazprom first rights to Azeri gas, and the Kremlin says an additional protocol to the deal will be signed during the Russian leader’s current visit.
Shahinoglu concedes that Azerbaijan has been willing to play into the Kremlin’s hands on certain energy and political matters. Baku — unlike another South Caucasus neighbor, Georgia — has never given Moscow cause for alarm by expressing serious interest in Western integration.
But at the same time, Azerbaijan’s oil wealth gives it a degree of independence that neither Georgia nor Armenia can match. To date, Baku has maintained a skillful balance between Russia, its traditional ally Turkey, and newer allies in the West.
But Shahinoglu says Azerbaijan has too frequently given Moscow what it wanted — something that should change if Russia continues to favor Armenia in its relations with the South Caucasus.
"Azerbaijan hasn’t favored the Nabucco project because of Russia. Azerbaijan has never openly expressed its NATO aspirations because of Russia. Officials have always said the country is not striving for EU or NATO membership," Shahinoglu says. "I think this policy needs to be changed. Because if Russia openly supports Armenia militarily and politically, we need to reconsider our options."
A new football club has earned a leading place in the UEFA Champions League groups and starred in the headlines of worldwide football news yesterday. The Football Club Sheriff Tiraspol claimed a win with the score 2-1 against Real Madrid on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid. That made Sheriff Tiraspol the leader in Group D of the Champions League, including the football club in the groups of the most important European interclub competition for the first time ever.
International media outlets called it a miracle, a shock and a historic event, while strongly emphasizing the origin of the team and the existing political conflict between the two banks of the Dniester. “Football club from a pro-Russian separatist enclave in Moldova pulls off one of the greatest upsets in Champions League history,” claimed the news portals. “Sheriff crushed Real!” they said.
Moldovans made a big fuss out of it on social media, splitting into two groups: those who praised the team and the Republic of Moldova for making history and those who declared that the football club and their merits belong to Transnistria – a problematic breakaway region that claims to be a separate country.
Both groups are right and not right at the same time, as there is a bunch of ethical, political, social and practical matters that need to be considered.
Is it Moldova?
First of all, every Moldovan either from the right or left bank of Dniester (Transnistria) is free to identify himself with this achievement or not to do so, said Vitalie Spranceana, a sociologist, blogger, journalist and urban activist. According to him, boycotting the football club for being a separatist team is wrong.
At the same time, “it’s an illusion to think that territory matters when it comes to football clubs,” Spranceana claimed. “Big teams, the ones included in the Champions League, have long lost their connection both with the countries in which they operate, and with the cities in which they appeared and to which they linked their history. […] In the age of globalized commercial football, teams, including the so-called local ones, are nothing more than global traveling commercial circuses, incidentally linked to cities, but more closely linked to all sorts of dirty, semi-dirty and cleaner cash flows.”
What is more important in this case is the consistency, not so much of citizens, as of politicians from the government who have “no right to celebrate the success of separatism,” as they represent “the national interests, not the personal or collective pleasures of certain segments of the population,” believes the political expert Dionis Cenusa. The victory of FC Sheriff encourages Transnistrian separatism, which receives validation now, he also stated.
“I don’t know how it happens that the “proud Moldovans who chose democracy”, in their enthusiasm for Sheriff Tiraspol’s victory over Real Madrid, forget the need for total and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria!” declared the journalist Vitalie Ciobanu.
Nowadays, FC Sheriff Tiraspol has no other choice than to represent Moldova internationally. For many years, the team used the Moldovan Football Federation in order to be able to participate in championships, including international ones. That is because the region remains unrecognised by the international community. However, the club’s victory is presented as that of Transnistria within the region, without any reference to the Republic of Moldova, its separatist character being applied in this case especially.
Is it a victory?
In fact, FC Sheriff Tiraspol joining the Champions League is a huge image breakthrough for the Transnistrian region, as the journalist Madalin Necsutu claimed. It is the success of the Tiraspol Club oligarchic patrons. From the practical point of view, FC Sheriff Tiraspol is a sports entity that serves its own interests and the interests of its owners, being dependent on the money invested by Tiraspol (but not only) oligarchs.
Here comes the real dilemma: the Transnistrian team, which is generously funded by money received from corruption schemes and money laundering, is waging an unequal fight with the rest of the Moldovan football clubs, the journalist also declared. The Tiraspol team is about to raise 15.6 million euro for reaching the Champions League groups and the amounts increase depending on their future performance. According to Necsutu, these money will go directly on the account of the club, not to the Moldovan Football Federation, creating an even bigger gab between FC Sheriff and other football clubs from Moldova who have much more modest financial possibilities.
“I do not see anything useful for Moldovan football, not a single Moldovan player is part of FC Sheriff Tiraspol. I do not see anything beneficial for the Moldovan Football Federation or any national team.”
Is it only about football?
FC Sheriff Tiraspol, with a total estimated value of 12.8 million euros, is controlled by Victor Gusan and Ilya Kazmala, being part of Sheriff Holding – a company that controls the trade of wholesale, retail food, fuels and medicine by having monopolies on these markets in Transnistria. The holding carries out car trading activities, but also operates in the field of construction and real estate. Gusan’s people also hold all of the main leadership offices in the breakaway region, from Parliament to the Prime Minister’s seat or the Presidency.
The football club is supported by a holding alleged of smuggling, corruption, money laundering and organised crime. Moldovan media outlets published investigations about the signals regarding the Sheriff’s holding involvement in the vote mobilization and remuneration of citizens on the left bank of the Dniester who participated in the snap parliamentary elections this summer and who were eager to vote for the pro-Russian socialist-communist bloc.
Considering the above, there is a great probability that the Republic of Moldova will still be represented by a football club that is not identified as being Moldovan, being funded from obscure money, growing in power and promoting the Transnistrian conflict in the future as well.
Photo: unknown
Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilita, together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicu Popescu, pay an official visit to Brussels, between September 27-28, being invited by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell Fontelles.
Today, Prime Minister had a meeting with Charles Michel, President of the European Council. The Moldovan PM thanked the senior European official for the support of the institution in strengthening democratic processes, reforming the judiciary and state institutions, economic recovery and job creation, as well as increasing citizens’ welfare. Natalia Gavrilita expressed her confidence that the current visit laid the foundations for boosting relations between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, so that, in the next period, it would be possible to advance high-level dialogues on security, justice and energy. Officials also exchanged views on priorities for the Eastern Partnership Summit, to be held in December.
“The EU is open to continue to support the Republic of Moldova and the ambitious reform agenda it proposes. Moldova is an important and priority partner for us,” said Charles Michel.
Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita also met with Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economy, expressing her gratitude for the support received through the OMNIBUS macro-financial assistance program. The two officials discussed the need to advance the recovery of money from bank fraud, to strengthen sustainable mechanisms for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in Moldova, and to standardize the customs and taxes as one of the main conditions for deepening cooperation with the EU in this field.
Additionally, Prime Minister spoke about the importance of the Eastern Partnership and the Deep Free Trade Agreement, noting that the Government’s policies are aimed at developing an economic model aligned with the European economic model, focused on digitalization, energy efficiency and the green economy.
A common press release of the Moldovan Prime Minister with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Josep Borrell Fontelles, took place today, where the agenda of Moldova’s reforms and the main priorities to focus on in the coming months were presented: judiciary reform; fighting COVID-19 pandemic; promoting economic recovery and conditions for growth and job creation; strengthening state institutions and resilience of the country.
“I am here to relaunch the dialogue between my country and the European Union. Our partnership is strong, but I believe there is room for even deeper cooperation and stronger political, economic and sectoral ties. I am convinced that this partnership is the key to the prosperity of our country and I hope that we will continue to strengthen cooperation.”
The Moldovan delegation met Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice. Tomorrow, there are scheduled common meetings with Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Adina Valean, European Commissioner for Transport and Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy.
Prime Minister will also attend a public event, along with Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations.
Photo: gov.md
Politics
Promo-LEX about Maia Sandu’s UN speech: The president must insist on appointing a rapporteur to monitor the situation of human rights in Transnistria
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, pays an official visit to New York, USA, between September 21-22. There, she participates in the work of the United Nations General Assembly. According to a press release of the President’s Office, the official will deliver a speech at the tribune of the United Nations.
In this context, the Promo-LEX Association suggested the president to request the appointment of a special rapporteur in order to monitor the situation of human rights in the Transnistrian region. According to Promo-LEX, the responsibility for human rights violations in the Transnistrian region arises as a result of the Russian Federation’s military, economic and political control over the Tiraspol regime.
“We consider it imperative to insist on the observance of the international commitments assumed by the Russian Federation regarding the withdrawal of the armed forces and ammunition from the territory of the country,” the representatives of Promo-LEX stated. They consider the speech before the UN an opportunity “to demand the observance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Russian Federation with reference to this territory which is in its full control.”
“It is important to remember about the numerous cases of murder, torture, ill-treatment, forced enlistment in illegal military structures, the application of pseudo-justice in the Transnistrian region, all carried out under the tacit agreement of the Russian Federation. These findings stem from dozens of rulings and decisions issued by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that Russia is responsible for human rights violations in the region.”
The association representatives expressed their hope that the president of the country would give priority to issues related to the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region and would call on relevant international actors to contribute to guaranteeing fundamental human rights and freedoms throughout Moldova.
They asked Maia Sandu to insist on the observance of the obligation to evacuate the ammunition and the military units of the Russian Federation from the territory of the Republic of Moldova, to publicly support the need for the Russian Federation to implement the ECtHR rulings on human rights violations in the Transnistrian region, and to request the appointment of an UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur to monitor the human rights situation in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova.
**
The Promo-LEX Association concluded that 14 out of 25 actions planned within the National Action Plan for the years 2018–2022 concerning respecting human rights in Transnistria were not carried out by the responsible authorities.
The association expressed its concern and mentioned that there are a large number of delays in the planned results. “There is a lack of communication and coordination between the designated institutions, which do not yet have a common vision of interaction for the implementation of the plan.”
Promo-LEX requested the Government of the Republic of Moldova to re-assess the reported activities and to take urgent measures, “which would exclude superficial implementation of future activities and increase the level of accountability of the authorities.”
Photo: peacekeeping.un.org
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