Georgia: Armenian Concerns

RFE/RL reports that Armenia is deeply worried about the military confrontation between Georgia and Russia in South Ossetia. Of immediate concern is obviously the safety of Armenian citizens in Georgia. However, it also notes that as the main conduit for trade, all-out war between Georgia and Russia would have devastating consequences not only for Armenia, but also for the entire region.

Armenia joined the international community on Friday in expressing serious concern about the outbreak of deadly fighting in South Ossetia that threatened to degenerate into an all-out war between neighboring Georgia and Russia.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said official Yerevan is closely monitoring the situation and urging the conflicting parties to call a halt to military operations.

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Observers believe that a large-scale Russian-Georgian war is a nightmare scenario for Armenia, which uses Georgia’s territory as its main commercial conduit to the outside world and maintains close political and especially military ties with Russia.

The spiraling hostilities prompted the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to call a special meeting of its decision-making Permanent Council in Vienna on Friday afternoon. Finland, the current holder of the OSCE’s rotating presidency, warned that the conflict could escalate into “a full-fledged war.” “War would have a devastating impact for the entire region,” Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said in a statement.