SECURITY CONCERNED ISSUES
IN SOUTH CAUCASUS REGION
The speech
of Mayis Gulaliev
on public hearing
that took place
on 27 September 2013
in the village of Tekali,
at the intersection
of the borders
of the three
South-Caucasian
republics. Hearing took place
with the participation
of the dwellers
of Akstafa, Baku,
Ganja, Gyumri,
Ijevan, Marneuli,
Noemberyan,
Qazakh, Tbilisi,
Yerevan and
the frontier villages
of Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia.
* * *
During the last period, possible opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia has become a topical issue, widely discussed in social and political life of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, as during previous issues’ discussions, this time there was not any place for dissent, too. Opening of borders between two neighbour countries is considered an important event, from the standpoint of national security; that is why discussing of different opinions might be important and useful. When issues concerning security in South Caucasus are being discussed with politicians, who have common platform, or with political scientists who have the same approach, it deprives public consciousness of possibility of ideological selection. Topics that have public and political importance, including issued, connected with regional security, must come out of the framework of discussions made by a group of popular political scientists, and they must be submitted for widespread public discussion.
* * *
During the last period, possible opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia has become a topical issue, widely discussed in social and political life of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, as during previous issues’ discussions, this time there was not any place for dissent, too. Opening of borders between two neighbour countries is considered an important event, from the standpoint of national security; that is why discussing of different opinions might be important and useful. When issues concerning security in South Caucasus are being discussed with politicians, who have common platform, or with political scientists who have the same approach, it deprives public consciousness of possibility of ideological selection. Topics that have public and political importance, including issued, connected with regional security, must come out of the framework of discussions made by a group of popular political scientists, and they must be submitted for widespread public discussion.
Within last 15 years, all researches, connected with regional security, have been conducted in the context of relations of Azerbaijan with neighbour countries. Such researching method does not take into account the impact of events, taking place in global scale, so it is mistaken from the methodological standpoint, and harmful from political point of view. Since such researches do not reveal the main essence of problems existing in the region, they muddle public consciousness and change the object of political struggle. Therefore, during last 15 years Azerbaijani opposition feels lack of political motivation. At present, Georgian opposition faces similar difficulty, as well.
When talking about security, in whole region, or in separately taken country, really existing dangers have to be identified in the first instance. In other words, `secure` and `dangerous` events must be researched together. Dangers may be connected with existing or expecting problems. Fore separately taken country, dangers can be subdivided on such three groups, as local, regional and global. As a rule, most of local problems are identical to regional ones, or to local problems in different localities, or within the region. However, wide sections of the population quickly and simply feel local and regional problems, and not global.
It is necessary to take into consideration that during last centuries both widening of world countries’ relations on global level and `minimization` of the Earth in political sense have caused global problems, as well as made local and regional problems depending of it. In 21th century, problems, connected with: 1) energy insufficiency, 2) shortage of food, 3) breach of ecological balance, and 4) population growth, can become a reason for emerging serious threats on global level. These problems promise quite serious dangers for all countries, without exception, in that number – for South Caucasus countries. It means that similar problems are also expecting Azerbaijani society. In other words, security issues in South Caucasus region are directly connected with the same problems, acting in global scale. And so, Azerbaijan’s security, in broad sense, is connected with resolving of these problems, and with global threats’ prevention.
So which ways should we select for global threats’ prevention? Analysis of the events, which have taken place over the world during last 150 years, gives grounds to say that there is no other alternative for global threats’ prevention than international solidarity. The sooner countries, which have hoped to realize a policy of New World-wide Order, will leave this pretension, the better both for them and for the “rest of the world”. Collaboration, or confrontation named `New World-wide Order”? These ways disprove each other. Therefore, the world is forced to select one of possible variants. International solidarity requires international cooperation. And it means strengthening of regional cooperation and keeping of local identity. When propagandizing international cooperation, world “Greens” usually say: “Do think globally, do act locally”. Collaboration on regional and international levels creates important ground for regional and international security.
During last 20 years, the issue: “What to prefer, cooperation with regional countries, or confrontation?” has remained important in social-politic life of Azerbaijan. Certainly, despite this question is not pronounced aloud, most of political figures and political scientists hold their debates around answer to this topical question. Unfortunately, in most cases reasoning like “cooperation or confrontation” ends in Azerbaijani press, especially in electronic mass media, by suggestion of inclination for confrontation into public consciousness. In that case, what are the reasons of wide demonstrating of confrontation-directed programs in Azerbaijani mass media, and more extensive realization of confrontational activity in country’s social-political life? After all, the President of Azerbaijan in his appearances repeatedly declared necessity of creation of good relations with countries of the region. Not a single public speech by President contains non-ethical, non-humane declarations directed against any country, even against Armenia, which has kept occupied part of Azerbaijan’s territories. In that case, why Azerbaijani mass media, including pro-governmental media and TV broadcasts, are propagandizing confrontation with countries of the region? Is it by accident?
For the most part, it can be caused by three reasons. First, propaganda of confrontation with region countries can serve for keeping society under stress. Such social situation hinders to bring in other priority issues in the agenda, and hides authorities’ “bad governance”. Second, confrontation with countries of the region abruptly decreases possibilities of integration in the region. And it serves for the United States’ “divide and dominate” policy. Third, when society is being disposed to confrontation, it forms for country’s leaders conditions to maneuver in the face of international organizations. As if society, “disposed to confrontation”, and President, “disposed to cooperation”, ensure creating of political balance in the country. However, neither real cooperation nor real confrontation are not being realized as a result of it! Such situation entirely corresponds with policy of government, and with policy of the USA, which has economic interests in Azerbaijan, and it can be named “stability in Azerbaijani style”.
When talking about security, in whole region, or in separately taken country, really existing dangers have to be identified in the first instance. In other words, `secure` and `dangerous` events must be researched together. Dangers may be connected with existing or expecting problems. Fore separately taken country, dangers can be subdivided on such three groups, as local, regional and global. As a rule, most of local problems are identical to regional ones, or to local problems in different localities, or within the region. However, wide sections of the population quickly and simply feel local and regional problems, and not global.
It is necessary to take into consideration that during last centuries both widening of world countries’ relations on global level and `minimization` of the Earth in political sense have caused global problems, as well as made local and regional problems depending of it. In 21th century, problems, connected with: 1) energy insufficiency, 2) shortage of food, 3) breach of ecological balance, and 4) population growth, can become a reason for emerging serious threats on global level. These problems promise quite serious dangers for all countries, without exception, in that number – for South Caucasus countries. It means that similar problems are also expecting Azerbaijani society. In other words, security issues in South Caucasus region are directly connected with the same problems, acting in global scale. And so, Azerbaijan’s security, in broad sense, is connected with resolving of these problems, and with global threats’ prevention.
So which ways should we select for global threats’ prevention? Analysis of the events, which have taken place over the world during last 150 years, gives grounds to say that there is no other alternative for global threats’ prevention than international solidarity. The sooner countries, which have hoped to realize a policy of New World-wide Order, will leave this pretension, the better both for them and for the “rest of the world”. Collaboration, or confrontation named `New World-wide Order”? These ways disprove each other. Therefore, the world is forced to select one of possible variants. International solidarity requires international cooperation. And it means strengthening of regional cooperation and keeping of local identity. When propagandizing international cooperation, world “Greens” usually say: “Do think globally, do act locally”. Collaboration on regional and international levels creates important ground for regional and international security.
During last 20 years, the issue: “What to prefer, cooperation with regional countries, or confrontation?” has remained important in social-politic life of Azerbaijan. Certainly, despite this question is not pronounced aloud, most of political figures and political scientists hold their debates around answer to this topical question. Unfortunately, in most cases reasoning like “cooperation or confrontation” ends in Azerbaijani press, especially in electronic mass media, by suggestion of inclination for confrontation into public consciousness. In that case, what are the reasons of wide demonstrating of confrontation-directed programs in Azerbaijani mass media, and more extensive realization of confrontational activity in country’s social-political life? After all, the President of Azerbaijan in his appearances repeatedly declared necessity of creation of good relations with countries of the region. Not a single public speech by President contains non-ethical, non-humane declarations directed against any country, even against Armenia, which has kept occupied part of Azerbaijan’s territories. In that case, why Azerbaijani mass media, including pro-governmental media and TV broadcasts, are propagandizing confrontation with countries of the region? Is it by accident?
For the most part, it can be caused by three reasons. First, propaganda of confrontation with region countries can serve for keeping society under stress. Such social situation hinders to bring in other priority issues in the agenda, and hides authorities’ “bad governance”. Second, confrontation with countries of the region abruptly decreases possibilities of integration in the region. And it serves for the United States’ “divide and dominate” policy. Third, when society is being disposed to confrontation, it forms for country’s leaders conditions to maneuver in the face of international organizations. As if society, “disposed to confrontation”, and President, “disposed to cooperation”, ensure creating of political balance in the country. However, neither real cooperation nor real confrontation are not being realized as a result of it! Such situation entirely corresponds with policy of government, and with policy of the USA, which has economic interests in Azerbaijan, and it can be named “stability in Azerbaijani style”.
As regards second way, which serves for prevention of global threat, that is New World-wide Order, a group of countries pursues following objectives: to control energy resources, to impose a responsibility for ecological problems on `third countries`, and to manage world from one centre (more precisely, from the USA). This way does not foresee prevention of global threats everywhere and for everyone, in that number – for Azerbaijan. Not only the New World-wide Order itself, but even the process of its realization creates more serious regional and local dangers for third countries, including Azerbaijan. Thus, “realization” of the New World-wide Order process foresees globalization in the economic sphere, including financial globalization of developing countries, slackening of regional countries’ integration possibilities, and transformation of sovereign countries into “client countries”. This process requires restriction of cooperation of regional countries, and strengthening of regional confrontation. In other words, “great forces” that manage this process attach special importance to hampering the regional cooperation and propagandizing of disposition to confrontation in local press, especially in electronic mass media. Political parties and public organizations, which support cooperation and regional integration, are either being cancelled, or access to mass media becomes closed for them. Events, which have occurred in the world during last 50 years, have gone by this scenario. Mentioned process is going on nowadays, too. Unfortunately, South Caucasus countries cannot remain aside of this process. Because local societies in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, is very sensitive to local problems, and these societies are easy-to-manipulate.
Political reforms, realize in South Caucasus during last 15 years, were calculated for creation of controllable opposition, slackening of civil unity into countries, creating of threat of ethnic conflicts of different types. Serious works, aimed to slackening of relation with countries that have common borders or historical ties, are being held in each of three countries. So-called “bad governance” has been created and is supported in each of three countries. It means that the threat, created by global problems in the region, and then on local level, becomes apparent through “bad governance”. In other words, contempt for human rights on state level and into society, absence of possibility for citizens to protect themselves from lawlessness of state bodies, absence of possibility to execute laws, and absence of judicial authority’s independence are not the problems of separately taken countries. When imitation is being created in `third countries`, by such eloquent words as “civil society”, “freedom of speech”, “open society”, it indirectly becomes a component of the policy of New World-wide Order. Corruption and lawlessness in state governance, in public finances management and in government service area are serious threats, created by global problems on local level. In other words, “bad governance” related to everyday life of society, and propaganda of confrontation with countries of the region are display of global threats on local level. Such “bad governance” turned into a source of threats on local level. For example, concentration of economic and political power in hands of one group, creating of power pyramid, which protects interests of state officials, establishment of serious state control upon society, crowd migration, destruction of local economy, slackening industry, education, public health system, science and culture create serious threats for the state.
`New World-wide Order`, intended for security of a group of countries, especially for the USA, not only cannot prevent global threats everywhere and for everyone, but, quite the contrary, it creates – and will create! – new regional and local threats for `third countries`. The list of such threats can embrace: military controlling of small countries, loss of possibility to establish “good governance”, impossibility to ensure economic sovereignty, and so on. Hidden support of regional conflicts, taking measures, which impede internal political stability, use of mass media for loss of national identity, destruction of ecological balance, stirring up of ethnic and religious conflicts, and periodical realization of acts of terrorism can be included in this list, as well. Therefore, when talking about security of any country, including Azerbaijan, prevention of local and regional threats, which are consequences of global threats, should be foreseen, in the first place.
Similar threat impended today over each of three South-Caucasian countries. All three republics step by step find themselves under control of one of another country. In each of three republics, step by step, the possibility of creating of “good governance” is being lost. Gradually, safeguarding of economic sovereignty and security becomes more and more complicated. Complication of possibility of integration and living in peaceful conditions together with regional countries is already perceptible. Protests in Azerbaijan, aimed against opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia, proved once more that Azerbaijani society does not fully understand where the regional threats are consisting in. Similar situation predominates also in Armenian and Georgian societies. So, it seems at the very least naivety to wait for resolving of regional conflicts in nearest future. With taking into account that security of South Caucasus is first-priority political responsibility, all political parties’ and public organizations’ knowledge and abilities must be mobilized. South Caucasus is a Home for everyone who lives here, irrespective of language, religion, and ethnic belonging. For thousands of years this Home has been on responsibility and care of all Caucasians.
Mayis Gulaliev
27-09-2013
Tekali village, Georgia
English translation made by Ashot Gareginyan
The hearing passed in framework of Mock Court for Human Rights project by support of National Endowment for Democracy (USA)
Political reforms, realize in South Caucasus during last 15 years, were calculated for creation of controllable opposition, slackening of civil unity into countries, creating of threat of ethnic conflicts of different types. Serious works, aimed to slackening of relation with countries that have common borders or historical ties, are being held in each of three countries. So-called “bad governance” has been created and is supported in each of three countries. It means that the threat, created by global problems in the region, and then on local level, becomes apparent through “bad governance”. In other words, contempt for human rights on state level and into society, absence of possibility for citizens to protect themselves from lawlessness of state bodies, absence of possibility to execute laws, and absence of judicial authority’s independence are not the problems of separately taken countries. When imitation is being created in `third countries`, by such eloquent words as “civil society”, “freedom of speech”, “open society”, it indirectly becomes a component of the policy of New World-wide Order. Corruption and lawlessness in state governance, in public finances management and in government service area are serious threats, created by global problems on local level. In other words, “bad governance” related to everyday life of society, and propaganda of confrontation with countries of the region are display of global threats on local level. Such “bad governance” turned into a source of threats on local level. For example, concentration of economic and political power in hands of one group, creating of power pyramid, which protects interests of state officials, establishment of serious state control upon society, crowd migration, destruction of local economy, slackening industry, education, public health system, science and culture create serious threats for the state.
`New World-wide Order`, intended for security of a group of countries, especially for the USA, not only cannot prevent global threats everywhere and for everyone, but, quite the contrary, it creates – and will create! – new regional and local threats for `third countries`. The list of such threats can embrace: military controlling of small countries, loss of possibility to establish “good governance”, impossibility to ensure economic sovereignty, and so on. Hidden support of regional conflicts, taking measures, which impede internal political stability, use of mass media for loss of national identity, destruction of ecological balance, stirring up of ethnic and religious conflicts, and periodical realization of acts of terrorism can be included in this list, as well. Therefore, when talking about security of any country, including Azerbaijan, prevention of local and regional threats, which are consequences of global threats, should be foreseen, in the first place.
Similar threat impended today over each of three South-Caucasian countries. All three republics step by step find themselves under control of one of another country. In each of three republics, step by step, the possibility of creating of “good governance” is being lost. Gradually, safeguarding of economic sovereignty and security becomes more and more complicated. Complication of possibility of integration and living in peaceful conditions together with regional countries is already perceptible. Protests in Azerbaijan, aimed against opening of borders between Turkey and Armenia, proved once more that Azerbaijani society does not fully understand where the regional threats are consisting in. Similar situation predominates also in Armenian and Georgian societies. So, it seems at the very least naivety to wait for resolving of regional conflicts in nearest future. With taking into account that security of South Caucasus is first-priority political responsibility, all political parties’ and public organizations’ knowledge and abilities must be mobilized. South Caucasus is a Home for everyone who lives here, irrespective of language, religion, and ethnic belonging. For thousands of years this Home has been on responsibility and care of all Caucasians.
Mayis Gulaliev
27-09-2013
Tekali village, Georgia
English translation made by Ashot Gareginyan
The hearing passed in framework of Mock Court for Human Rights project by support of National Endowment for Democracy (USA)
