REGION’S COUNTRIES TO HANG TOGETHER OR HANG SEPARATELY.

Azerbaijani foreign minister Hassan Hassanov commented yesterday that current "strategic cooperation" between Azerbaijan and Georgia draws on lessons learned from their "historical mistakes." He recalled that at least twice in modern history, including in 1918-20 (when attacked by Soviet Russia), Georgia and Azerbaijan tried to defend their independent statehood "separately, each with its own forces," only to "lose simultaneously." Georgian and Azerbaijani leaders today understand the need for joint actions to maintain their countries’ independence in a region now recognized as "strategically important to Europe," Hassanov said. He described the Transit Corridor project to transport Caspian and Central Asian fuels and raw material to Europe via Azerbaijan and Georgia as a basis of for partnership between the two countries. (Turan, March 19)

Kyrgyzstan Extends Stay of Russian Border Troops.