Closed borders: When safety outweighs inconvenience What is right is not always popular

We will not be mistaken if we say that the decision on prolonging the special quarantine regime in Azerbaijan until October 2, 2023, and, accordingly, the next actual extension of the closure of the land borders was very controversially met by society. There are both objective and subjective reasons for this. At the very beginning, the closure of the borders was justified by a sudden and dangerous pandemic, which posed an enormous threat to the people for a long time. Then that threat subsided somewhat but did not disappear altogether. But recently, the World Health Organization announced that the pandemic had disappeared, and since then, those advocating for opening borders have begun to point out that the ban is outdated and should be eliminated...

Decisions on closed borders received a lot of criticism, especially on social media. Opinions vary, starting from the fact that it is all a "Masonic conspiracy", or, more precisely, lobbying for the domestic airline industry's income, as the closed border with Georgia does not allow Azerbaijanis to fly cheaply to other countries, and ending with the talk that the land borders of Azerbaijan are closed to Russia, Georgia, Iran, and Türkiye, while the land border crossing Lachin with Armenia was, until recently, open...

That is, there are heated discussions about closed borders, but they all suffer from an abundance of pathetic and a simultaneous lack of specificity. Yes, the decision to close the borders makes many people uncomfortable and it cannot be called popular. But there is a flip side as well - look what is happening on the other side of our borders! And both in the North and in the South... After that, it becomes clear that the government's decision was the right one. The most recent events with the military mutiny of the Wagner PMC (let us call things by their proper names) have confirmed this once again. Yes, it is not a choice between bad and good - it is a choice between prudent and very bad, and a choice largely forced. And at the same time, this is a thoughtful choice, not an emotional one, but a calibrated one. The security of our people and stability in the country is more important than temporary inconveniences.

Yes, sometimes, due to a lack of full facts, some members of our society often get carried away and go along with some critics' populist, unfounded statements, but when everything falls into place, people understand the expediency of the steps taken. And this is confirmed by public opinion - for example, in yesterday's poll on our Telegram channel the majority of users approved of the closed borders. Against the background of military mutiny and the likelihood of civil war in Russia, possible wild turbulence near our northern borders is not only alarming but frightening. So preventive measures, however unpopular, are vital.

The shrewdness of the decision to close borders at a time when the region is compared to a "powder keg" is also shown by the fact that now, against the backdrop of the revolt of the Wagner PMC's head, other countries are thinking about similar measures. In particular, Georgia has already called for urgent closure of the border with Russia. For example, former Prime Minister and leader of the party "For Georgia," Georgy Gakharia called on the authorities to urgently convene the Security Council and to close the border in connection with unpredictable events in Russia against the background of the military mutiny of Wagner PMC. "The danger is real! Georgia's state border - the Lars checkpoint - is the closest point to the escalation zone. Timely action is needed to maintain peace," Gakharia said.

Caliber.Az note: The article was written before Wagner's head Prigozhin stood down on Jun 24, saying he was turning his forces around. Prigozhin has agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, according to the Kremlin, in a deal apparently brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Everything that is happening in the border countries is unsettling, making one wary in such an uncertain, volatile, delicate environment. Emotional moves here can only be detrimental, but if we calm down and leave our emotions aside, another side of the issue opens up. In particular, pro-Iranian proxies, supporters of the mullahs, who are in fact on the payroll of the IRI security services, have been actively revealed lately in Azerbaijan. It is not so numerous, but it is a very active layer, which harms our country in every possible way. On the one hand, it is fanatical religious propaganda with a touch of obscurantism and, on the other hand, the distribution of Iranian drugs. These elements were financially and morally sustained for years by Iran, and that's why almost every day we hear news either about arrested couriers of Iranian drug dealers or about arrests of Iranian spies. And uncertainty around the creation of a nuclear bomb by Iran, which makes the USA and Israel nervous as well, doesn't add optimism. What will happen to Azerbaijan if an acute phase of conflict between those countries breaks out? Temporarily closed borders would allow our country if not to distance itself completely from the conflict, then at least to mitigate significantly its possible negative consequences for Azerbaijan... In the case of Russia, which is now on the verge of turmoil, these motives are also justified.

... Thus, in order to prevent dangerous metamorphoses in Azerbaijan, which could tarnish the long-standing stability of our country, which is so valued by society, closed land borders are vital. Naturally, it is a temporary measure against the background of all that disturbing Brownian motion near our borders. This is precisely the case when the interests of society as a whole, not to mention national interests, are more important than temporary inconveniences. Borders are bound to be opened, it is easy to do that, but it will be very difficult to restore the disturbed stability from dangerous "tornadoes" at our borders... The right choice is not always popular and easy, but it is always fair and aimed at the future, at effective results and security. We should not open Pandora's Box without knowing what awaits us all inside...