The last three days have brought two significant developments in Russia's international relations: the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, and Moscow's agreement to withdraw troops from Georgia.
When Mikhail Saakashvili (President of Georgia, former Soviet republic) came to power in December 2003, he sought to move Georgia out of the ‘shadow’ of Moscow and towards closer relations with the US. Moscow's shadow is shrinking now.
Obviously that's one of the most essential and steadfast processes in the post-Soviet years. However, the last three days have been especially decisive.
The construction of the "Tbilisi" (Georgia) part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was very complicated under Moscow's shadow, and the project was not going anywhere. This wasn’t a surprise – the pipeline offered serious competition to the Russian oil transporting company Transneft. Only one year into the new presidency in Georgia was enough time to complete the pipeline. A corrupt, pro-Soviet government wasn’t there anymore to secure the interests of Russian oligarchs. The 1,770 kilometer-long tube (1,100 miles), financed in part by the U.S., will be shipping a million barrels of Caspian oil to Turkey's Mediterranean coast daily.
Before the pipeline was finished, Central Asian oil-producers had two choices: the Russian pipeline network, which is inefficient and monopolistic, or using Black Sea tankers. Both poor options will soon be forgotten, especially the Russian pipeline network, which is not a monopoly anymore and is simply not competitive.
Another former Russian monopoly soon to be forgotten in Central Asia will be Russia's military dominance.
Russia agreed Monday to begin withdrawing its troops from two Soviet-era bases in Georgia this year, resolving one of the most serious disputes between Moscow and its pro-Western neighbor. The Associated Press writer called it a "a victory for the Caucasus Mountain nation".
P.S.: The phrase the "Shadow is shrinking" should be viewed as a legacy of Cold War logic. The Georgian President considers Moscow's influence to be the "shadow". Russians consider American influence to be "evil".\
Well, forget it! Let’s call it Russian and American influence, and not use simplistic labels.
Contributed by Anton Verstakov (Russian Journalist)
