Ilgar Mamedov: "Baku's support to Tbilisi actions was lower than the current level of partnership and interaction between Georgia and Azerbaijan"

- Does Azerbaijan occupy a right position in the situation around conflict in South Ossetia?

- If we compare it with Armenia, which has not voiced a single word during the growing tensions between Russia and Georgia, Azerbaijan was closer to Georgia. We have supported Georgian leadership at least on the level of the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry. But on the whole, Baku's support to Tbilisi's actions was lower than the current level of partnership and interaction between Georgia and Azerbaijan. Baku should have supported its ally more strongly.

Both Azerbaijanis and Armenians on the public level projected the new round of confrontation between Russia and Georgia on the Karabakh problem and in the result almost all Azerbaijanis supported Georgia, while most Armenians was searching for new chances for themselves in Russia's actions.

- Which lessons from the situation around the armed clash in Georgia, can Azerbaijan draw?

- See how hard it was for Georgia to get US and Europe's support, despite the country was consistently western oriented and firm in its adherence to democratic principles.

If Azerbaijan counts on the support of the west, it should attain radical democratization of the political system. Evem the open western oriented course is not enough to gain sympathies of the world society for our interests in the similar Karabakh conflict with Armenia and Russia.

As for the military lessons, you should better ask military experts. Anyway, it is obvious that Russian troops got an advantage only owing to separate factors, including aviation, a free passage via the Rok tunnel, the quantitative advantage. It had extremely great losses. This means that it is possible to fight Armenia and it will be led by the same Russian troops in case the Karabakh conflict is resumed.

- If Azerbaijan initiated the military actions for return of the annexed lands immediately, will it be possible to state that Russia, which is now closely watched by the world society, would not interfere with this conflict in order not to worsen its position? Aren't we missing a chance in this issue?

- If our army is really on the level, declared by the government, Azerbaijan could take an advantage of the moment, ensured by Georgia's decisive policy. But it did not happen. Though Azerbaijan will further have favorable geopolitical conditions for attracting the factor of a strong army to the efforts on restoration of its territorial integrity.

- How can Azerbaijan help Georgia as an ally and a GUAM member-state?

- At least, the level of public support could have been higher than the press service of the Foreign Ministry. It could have been possible to call on the Georgian Azerbaijanis for active assistance of the government in resisting external aggression. It should be noted that despite the absence of such signals from official Baku, Azerbaijanis in Georgia have been active and most volunteered in the time when mobilization was declared.

Moreover, efforts could have been taken for a more independent covering of conflicts on our TV channels. Instead of all this, our police have dispersed a small picket near the Russian embassy. Is it correct to do so?

- Why did the events in South Ossetia start today? What did the Georgian officials rely on? Georgian officials seemed to be aware that Kremlin will not reject its "pie" in this clash. Why did the Georgian powers deliberately risked the deterioration of the conflict?

- The current round of the conflict have been provoked by the Kremlin. Within several hours Moscow sent several hundreds of military facilities to Georgia, which is impossible without a long-lasting planning. If you remember, Russia railway troops have restored a railroad in Abkhazia allegedly for peaceful purposes. It is now obvious that it was done for the accelerated transfer of military technique. In other words, whatever Saakashvili did, the large scale armed conflict was inevitable, which really occurred.

But Russia has lost. Today NATO countries do not doubt the expediency of the soonest accession of Georgia and Ukraine to the alliance. After it Russia have lesser chances to influence the region. It is possible to say with confidence that Russia is losing the South Caucasus.

/Day.Az/