FEB. 26 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Azerbaijan,it could be said, is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Two of its allies are at loggerheads and now Russia has accused it of trying to help shift potatoes around sanctions it imposed on Turkey after a Turkish warplane shot down a Russian warplane over Syria.
Azerbaijani businesses are having a tough time. The economic downturn has been tough on them and the prospect of earning a percentage may have been too much for them to ignore. Of course, they may also have just wanted to help out their regional Big Brother, Turkey.
Whatever the reason, the accusation from Moscow has thrown a spotlight on Central Asia and the South Caucasus over their sanction-beating roles.
Last year, Baltic suppliers sent dairy products to Uzbekistan for re-export to Kazakhstan and then to Russia, circumventing Western sanctions against Russia. This year Aktau port said shipments from Turkey had increased by 10-times, although they didn’t say goods were being sent on to Russia.
The region, it appears, has become a transit hub for Russia-bound goods.
ENDS
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(Editorial from Issue No. 269, published on Feb. 26 2016)