Monday, September 9 2019 10:35

ArmInfo. Unlike Georgia and  Turkey, Azerbaijan considers military joint exercises exclusively as  a mechanism of pressure on Armenia. Expert on regional issues Karen  Veranyan expressed a similar opinion to ArmInfo.

On September 2, joint command and staff exercises of the military  from Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia Eternity-2019 started in Baku,  the purpose of which is to develop measures to protect transport and  energy infrastructure projects with the participation of three  countries. Three countries have been conducting the Caucasian Eagle  exercises since 2009. According to the statement of the Minister of  Defense of Azerbaijan Zakir Hasanov, in 2019 Turkey and Azerbaijan  are going to conduct 13 joint exercises, to which Georgia is invited.

"Ankara, in particular, through such a platform for regional  dialogue, primarily solves its own military- political and economic  problems both at the regional and international levels. Meanwhile,  Baku is trying to use participation in these exercises in order to  aggravate the regional isolation of Armenia. Of course, Turkey has a  similar position, but outside this agenda, " he noted.

According to Veranyan, Baku is also trying to increase the  anti-Armenian factor through trilateral military- political  cooperation with neighboring countries,what is caused by Azerbaijan  settlement of regional conflicts in the framework of the logic of the  principle of territorial integrity, which, given the Georgian-  Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts, is quite acceptable for  Georgia.  According to the expert, the Azerbaijani leadership is also  trying to please the Turkish ally with a similar approach. Contrary  to Russia's position on the issue of principles for resolving  conflicts with the participation of Georgia, Baku automatically helps  advance Ankara's interests in the South Caucasus. At the same time,  this position of Azerbaijan is mainly of an intermediary nature.   "Georgia, in turn, is considering this format in the light of the  need to deepen cooperation with Turkey as one of the NATO countries,  as well as the final withdrawal from the range of military-political  influence of Russia and the weakening of Moscow's position in the  South Caucasus. At the same time, cooperation with Ankara in Tbilisi  is perceived far from unambiguous. The ruling elite of Georgia is  objectively concerned about the economic, military and political  expansion of Turkey towards Georgia, and, accordingly, it is taking  steps in the direction of leveling these trends, "the expert summed  up.