In case of war Azerbaijan will render Georgia at least diplomatic assistance

PanARMENIAN.Net - There is no real confirmation that weapons and mujahids will be transported from Kabul to Georgia via Azerbaijan, a Russian expert said.



"Azerbaijan and Georgia are close in their positions, since they collaborate within GUAM and implement joint economic (Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railroad) and military projects. To what extent is Azerbaijan ready to get involved in the conflict? Appearance of the Afghan factor will play into the hands of the incumbent leadership's rivals," head of the interethnic relations department at Moscow's Institute of Political and Military Analysis Sergei Markedonov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



"Nevertheless, Azerbaijan will render Georgia at least diplomatic assistance, for these two states experience similar territorial problems," he added.



It's worth mentioning that on May 4, 2008, Real Azerbaijan newspaper posted on its website an article titled "Will Azerbaijanis help Georgia?" (http://realazer.at.ua/news/2008-05-04-365), telling about the possibility of Azerbaijan's military assistance to Georgia in case of war against Abkhazia. Meanwhile, a relevant publication by PanARMENIAN.Net aroused hysteria in Baku.



Real Azerbaijan's website was removed from the server.



However, PanARMENIAN.Net brings to the readers' attention the screenshot of the website and a reference in Google.



The article that aroused Azerbaijan's confusion says in part,



"Azerbaijan intends to assist Georgia in resolving its territorial problems.



For the purpose, Baku-Kabul flights suspended in March 2008 will be resumed. Trained Afghan mujahids and large lots of weapons are expected to be airlifted to Azerbaijan and then to Georgia, Real Azerbaijan website reports.



According to preliminary data, some 500 Afghan commandos trained in British camps will arrive in Georgia. In operation against Abkhazia and South Ossetia, they will use weapons received from their British sponsors, thus protecting Azerbaijan from "coming into the spotlight."



Reliable sources report that Azeris are being recruited in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and several other states with numerous Azeri diaspora.



The recruitment is conducted under supervision of "Azerbaycan Diasporasi" chairman Fikret Veliyev, chairman of Murmansk division of the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress Rafik Badirov, president of federal national and cultural autonomy of Azeris of Russia Sayun Sadykov. Not only ordinary Azeris but also students of Moscow and Kyiv universities are recruited.



Head of the department of political studies of the Azerbaijani presidential administration Fuad Akhundov and chief of the division of foreign policy planning and strategic studies at the Azeri MFA Tofik Musayev have been commissioned to coordinate the Azeri diaspora's work.



1.5-2 thousand prisoners, who committed grave crimes, will be granted amnesty on occasion of Heydar Aliyev's 85th birthday. It's expected that half of them will be sent to Georgia as well.



The process of Azeri units' formation was speeded up after Russian heavy artillery, weapons and equipment and additional troops crossed Georgia's state border."