Ukraine, Georgia Discuss Alliance

[chlamor]

Ukraine, Georgia discuss alliance

By Humayun Chaudhry

Thursday 24 March 2005, 20:26 Makka Time, 17:26 GMT  

 New efforts by Georgia and Ukraine to resuscitate an anti-Russian axis may prove to be of little benefit considering the alliance's last experience.With President Mikhail Saakashvili visiting Ukraine, Georgia has been spearheading efforts to revive GUUAM, the acronym for members Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova.

Along with Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko, their joint interest has been to use it as an economic and political mechanism, tying the members closer to Europe and the West while reducing Russia's traditional dominance.

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More economic than political

Valeri Chalyi, director of international programmes at the Ukrainian Political and Economic Studies Centre, told Aljazeera.net that the drive to revive the association was more economic than political, for now.

<snip>

Relations with EU

Chalyi thinks Saakashvili and Yushchenko's interest in GUUAM is linked to relations with the European Union. "Orientation towards the European values is among the priorities of the GUUAM members," he said. By virtue of its geopolitical situation, economic potential and clear orientation to the European model of development, Ukraine has interest in being a leadership force for the organisation."

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EABA2248-CA93-4689-9905-846ACD7DE489.htm

[MisterP]

1. Yushchenko and Saakashvili have already met: two pees in a pod

(not a typo)

[makhno]

2. Sounds like the EU ...

... is desperately looking to diversify its sources of oil and natural gas. The aptly named OSCE has been quite successful in installing puppet regimes in key energy producing or transit countries.

For all the talk of Putin's supposed anti-Western, hard-line stance, he really hasn't done much to counter the growing pressure on Russia's only source of income. No investments in infrastructure, no new pipeline projects aside from the deal in the Far East, and this while the country is (relatively) flush with oil money.