Although the precise catalyst for the war between Russia and Georgia is unclear, the escalation was almost inevitable given the years of tension and the diplomatic stalemate over the status of the pro-Russian separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as well as other fundamental issues such as Georgian aspirations to join NATO. The question was always whether Moscow would exploit its local military superiority to compel Georgia’s formal dismemberment or would instead hold the threat of armed interventions in reserve in an attempt to influence Georgian foreign policy without incurring the damage to Russian-Western relations that might ensue from [...]
To the Editors, Richard Weitz [“Unity of Guam States Threatened in Efforts to Realize Energy Potential,” July 10, 2008] is a correct that the GUAM Organization would be doomed to extinction without Azerbaijan, and that the organization’s future depends on Azerbaijan’s economic resources and transit potential. However, the portrayal of Azerbaijan as a member country that impedes GUAM’s democratic development, along with the fanciful notion that it is considering quitting the organization, is wholly inaccurate. One should not forget that the very idea of GUAM began with the late President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev who brought the initiative before his [...]
Energy differences between Russia and European countries have created an opportunity for the GUAM states — Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova — to assume a more prominent role in Europe’s institutional architecture. Until now, the GUAM has been overshadowed by more prominent institutions such as NATO, the European Union, and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Most recent attention has focused on how GUAM might help EU members pursue their energy diversification strategy. GUAM includes both energy-producing (Azerbaijan) and energy-transit (Azerbaijan again but also Georgia and potentially Ukraine) countries. The pivotal geographic location of GUAM members — which have direct access [...]
