This week, two very significant external visits of the leaders of the South Caucasus countries took place. First, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan went on a visit to France on June 1-2, 2021. The Armenian nationalists have been counting on this visit and in general for help from France. Indeed, at first glance, the rhetoric of the French leadership, the same President Macron, will remain pro-Armenian. However, the question arises - how can France help Armenia besides words?

For more than a century, Alas's expression "French aid" can be considered a household word, roughly like a "disservice". Moreover, the following statement is also true: “if you want harm to the country or some political force, make them rely on the French as“ allies ”.

The Russians were the first to fully drink the thicket of "allied gratitude" of the French. The First World War was absolutely unprofitable and unnecessary for Russia. But, having become an "ally" of France, Russia was forced to break off mutually beneficial cooperation with Germany. Moreover, being dragged into the First World War by the same France, Russia heeded the requests of Paris and in 1914 launched a completely unprepared offensive in East Prussia to “save Paris”.

The Russians then saved Paris, senselessly destroying 2 of their corps in the forests and swamps of East Prussia. And then repeatedly the Russians, at the request of the French allies, rushed into completely unprepared offensives, suffering huge losses. For what? For the sake of the illusory promises of the same French to give Russia the Turkish straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, which the allies did not even think to fulfill.

Moreover, when it became obvious that the United States was entering the war on the side of the Entente and victory was inevitable, the allies "threw" Russia, and they threw it harshly, organizing a revolution in it, which ended in the complete collapse of the state. Then, in the civil war, the French seemed to support the "whites", but "a little bit" so that as much blood as possible was shed to weaken Russia as much as possible. And then, the defeated White Guards, the French "graciously allowed" them to be second-class people, to work in Paris as taxi drivers and vegetate in poverty.

By the way, according to the recollections of the White Guards who left Russia through Constantinople, the Turks treated the Russians much more humanely than the French in France. The Turks of Constantinople themselves impoverished from the war, in which they suffered defeat when they could help their former "enemies". Whereas the “Christian brothers” Armenians and Greeks, taking advantage of the plight of the Russian refugees, sought only to cash in on them, forcing them to give up the latter for a pittance for food.

How it hoped for French "allied" assistance in 1939, Poland is also well remembered. The French and the British basically did not start military operations until the last minute on their border, while Hitler's hordes were destroying Poland. True, then, in 1940, it was the turn of France, which very quickly surrendered to Hitler and, in fact, became his "unspoken ally." The pro-fascist Vichy regime placed the resources of the huge French colonial empire at Hitler's disposal.

There were also quite “ugly” stories with the Arab “friends” of the French. During the colonial war in Algeria, where, according to various estimates, from 1.5 to 2 million Arabs perished as a result of genocide, the French destroyed entire villages of the "disobedient" and persuaded thousands of other residents to cooperate. After the victory of the national liberation movement, those who agreed to cooperate with the colonialists had to flee to France, where they, too, "in the gratitude" for the lagging behind French interests, became second-class people.

Well, what turned out to be the "hopes for France" of the Armenian nationalists-Dashnaks is also well known. The tragedy of 1915, the "throw" of 1920, when it turned out that the peace treaty concluded in the French Sevres concerning Armenia was not worth the paper on which it was written - this is a confirmation.

The French special services generously "helped" the Armenians with the education and training of terrorist thugs. Some of them continue to determine politics in Armenia, such as the same Zhirayr Sefilyan.

This is the whole essence of French foreign policy. Help in organizing terrorist attacks, sabotage, and coups, send your "foreign legion" to support some bloody dictator (a common thing in the former French colonies of Africa) is always welcome. But it’s real to benefit the “allied” country or “friendly” people, to organize economic development ... Peace and cooperation with neighbors - this is precisely what the French always try to oppose to the best of their ability.

Any Armenian who is not infected with nationalism understands that Armenia has no future without normalizing relations with neighbors and unblocking the border. Armenia simply cannot bear another war. And vegetation in isolation too. Moreover, after the liberation of Karabakh, Yerevan was deprived of the opportunity to "loot" the bowels of the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

The functioning of the Zangezur corridor and the opening of the borders are necessary, first of all, for Armenia itself. Normal allies would in every possible way contribute to the reconciliation of Armenia with its neighbors and especially its inclusion in promising transcontinental infrastructure projects. And if Nikol Pashinyan publicly declared during the last time in Paris that France is “ally No. 1” for Yerevan, then such an ally, logically, should advise how Armenia should restore its economy and reconcile with its neighbors.

However, during a working visit to France and Belgium, acting. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan kept saying that the French "allies" of Yerevan were pushing him onto the disastrous path of confrontation and new wars.

As soon as Pashinyan went to Paris in Yerevan, acting. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan held a press conference, where it was officially announced that: “Today the work of the trilateral commission of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan on unblocking transport communications has been suspended”. That is, clearly, an "ally" in the person of official Paris is pushing Yerevan to disrupt the trilateral agreement of November 9, 2020, and ignore the agreements reached on unblocking the Zangezur corridor.

What then can Paris offer instead of Armenia? So far, nothing but "recognition of the genocide" and verbal "indignation" over the alleged "presence of the Azerbaijani military on Armenian territory." This, although the presence of the Armenian army in the Azerbaijani lands of Karabakh for some reason did not bother France for some reason. In economic terms, the "alliance" with France does not bring anything to Armenia at all. Even a symbolic investment. France, which is in a systemic crisis, has long been not investing in the development of other countries, even the former colonies.

Turkey's policy with its allies and partners is completely different. It is, firstly, constructive and based on mutually beneficial cooperation, secondly, it completely excludes interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and thirdly it brings with it significant investments. And not only Turkish ones. Cooperation with Turkey is a "signal" for other investors, both European and, for example, Chinese, that projects have a perspective and that resources can and should be invested in the country.

It was for the sake of investment revitalization of the Georgian economy that Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili made his visit to Ankara, almost simultaneously with Pashinyan's visits to Paris.

“Turkey is our friend and strategic partner for us. You rightly noted that Turkey is the main trading partner. And we have common important projects, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan. We have every opportunity to implement even more projects, both in a bilateral format and multilaterally, ”the head of the Georgian government said during his visit.

Following the meeting with the Georgian Prime Minister, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that Georgia plays an important role in regional cooperation and stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan.

"We, Turkey, support all types of trilateral cooperation, be it Georgia-Azerbaijan-Armenia or Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey." President Erdogan also noted that Turkish investments in Georgia, including in the energy sector, amount to the US $ 214 million.

Thus, Turkey does not even have a thought to quarrel with neighboring countries. With all the nationalism of the Armenian leadership, Turkey stresses in every possible way that it wants all the countries of the South Caucasus to cooperate and develop joint projects. At the same time, according to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey unconditionally supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as the entry of our country into NATO.

So the difference in the approaches of France and Turkey in relations with their allies is visible to the naked eye.

KavkazPlus