Crossfire War - Moscow - Ankara Discuss South Caucasus Confrontation

By Willard Payne

Crossfire War - MOSCOW WATCH - South Caucasus - Caspian Theatre: Moscow - Berlin - Washington/Ankara - Tbilisi - Baku - Tehran; Russia President Putin - Turkey Prime Minister Erdogan Discuss Georgia After Ankara Decides to Assist Tbilisi - Energy Confrontation

Night Watch: MOSCOW - Two days after Ankara decided to enter the energy - military confrontation Moscow has been having with Tbilisi all year by supporting Georgia, Russia President Vladimir Putin then called Turkey Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. Moscow had been applying economic pressure on Tbilisi for more than a year due to the territorial disputes over the two seceding Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Tehran began to enter the dispute a year ago and now Ankara, an important member of the Islamic military-economic Axis is marching in step by doing the same. [RIA]

Ankara has agreed to share its Caspian gas with Georgia by transferring part of Turkey's gas quota to Georgia and Azerbaijan, where both Moscow and Tehran have been competing for influence. The gas will use the South Caucasus pipeline from the Shah-Deniz gas and condensate field. Georgia Energy Minister Nika Gilauri said, "Experts will meet next week in Baku to decide on the figures."

Putin however may be warning Erdogan that such assistance to Tbilisi and in tandem with Tehran is dangerous for the investment's long term, even short term propects, because Russia has nearly completed preparations to respond forcefully to Georgia's military units in the Kodori Gorge where the military standoff is ongoing. Therefore any substantial support of Tbilisi could at least damage economic relations between Moscow-Ankara. [RIA]

Moscow and the Western industrial interests that use Russia to guarantee easy access to the Caucasus-Caspian energy resources cannot afford to let Iran or capitals working with Tehran to control this energy strategic region exclusively. Moscow and the West are aware that these increased economic relations Tbilisi now has with Turkey-Iran has increased Georgia's defense budget.

The official press statement that was released on the phone call between Putin-Erdogan said the two heads of state were discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Night Watch Information Service
http://www.crossfirewar.com

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