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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

Valery CHECHELASHVILI: “OUR PRIME SLOGAN IS TO ENRICH YOURSELVES”

13 November, 2012 - 00:00

When asked over a cup of coffee to unwind our conversation how “the new Georgians” are treated in Georgia, Valery Chechelashvili answered: “This term has not caught on in our country. Georgia always has had an adequate number of enterprising well-off people.” This social group from which a middle class has originated in the postcommunist states was perhaps one of the conditions thanks to which the republic has managed to survive a civil war, two armed conflicts, and a most severe economic crisis. All these afflictions seem to be enough for one nation to slide into dictatorship, to get stuck in a protracted economic stagnation. Not Georgia. Having lived through all this, not only has Georgia never retreated from democratic principles in its domestic policies but it has succeeded in achieving economic growth.

The Day interviewed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Ukraine Valery CHECHELASHVILI.

Has Georgia ever been tempted to sacrifice some of its democratic freedoms for the sake of gaining “quick” progress?

There has been a temptation, but we have never succumb to it, because Eduard Shevardnadze is our President. Someone from our political elite demanded him to assume the full power to do just that. But we understood that such thing was out of the question in Georgia. Moreover, it is not in Shevarnadze’s style. After serving for a long time in Soviet structures, he knows only too well what consequences the use of force might have.

Do Georgian opposition meetings call for a return to the USSR?

Even if there are opposition meetings in Georgia, all of them are connected with the name of Zviad Gamsakhurdia. And their slogans are different. Nowhere in Georgia will you hear “Back to the USSR”. Incidentally, there are three communist parties in Georgia, one of which is Stalinist. All of them lost the 1995 election and at the present time there is not a single Communist in our parliament. We do not want to go back. We want to go forward and to be on friendly terms with all our neighbors, including Ukraine, with which we always have maintained a special relationship.

Where does this specialness lie?

Our peoples have been long bound together in a special way by centuries of history, religion, spiritual values, and cultures. As far back as in the Middle Ages the princes of the Kyiv Rus State and dukes from Georgian dynasties (at the time Georgia was not a single state but a conglomerate of individual royal dynasties) intermarried, according to their mutual political interests. Also, many Georgians served in the Zaporizhzhia Sich, which in its turn had its military bases on the west coast of Georgia.

Today, our priorities in state creation and foreign policies are practically identical. We are building democracies on the basis of a free market economy. How our reforms proceed and what tactics we employ are another question.

Our foreign policies are oriented toward integration into European structures. As part of the CIS, Georgia and Ukraine pursue the same goal: we want the erstwhile Soviet republics, now independent states, to build their mutual relations on the basis of the international law. We have important work on making Ukraine part of a group of Georgia’s friends under the UN Secretary General. This group already includes the United States, Russia, France, Germany, and Great Britain.

Does the CIS stand better chances now that Boris Berezovsky has been appointed executive secretary of this structure? One of the Moscow newspapers made a rather biting remark, saying that he is exactly that man who will not allow the CIS to die peacefully.

My opinion is that the CIS is a perfectly viable structure. I think Boris Berezovsky can do a lot of good for the commonwealth, because he is a man who understands quite well the importance of healthy economic contacts. The CIS can have a good future provided that all its activity will be aimed at helping its members conclude and maintain natural economic ties.

From the political standpoint, the CIS can stay alive only on two conditions. First, the commonwealth states must see to it that all conflicts be settled as soon as possible. Otherwise we cannot speak about the CIS enjoying a positive image on the international scene. Second, the CIS should keep abreast of world integration processes, assisting its members in gaining membership in such international organizations as the World Trade Organization, the European Union, and others. The CIS should not oppose world processes, a move that may lead to another iron curtain.

Why has the situation in Abkhazia become worse?

In recent days the conflict with Abkhazia has got worse for a number of reasons. We think it inadmissible that the cease fire zone controlled by peace-keepers becomes an area where heavy weapons and artillery guns are smuggled. Abkhazian militants launched artillery attacks against the villages where refugees had returned. In my view, the armed conflict in South Osetia is being settled in a more constructive way. Tbilisi has succeeded in striking normal ties with South Osetia leadership. We are optimistic about prospects of a settlement of the conflict there. Living standards are a very important aspect in maintaining peace and stability in the region of any conflict. Thus the minimum pension in Georgia is $12 and in Abkhazia it is $3. When pensions in Georgia grow twenty times higher, the people on the other side of the Inguri River will be able to see that life in Georgia is better.

One of the purposes of a Eurasian transport corridor is the transit of Caspian oil to Europe. What are its chances now that Turkey is recognized as the best way to transport Azerbaijan oil?

I think that the chances of the Eurasian transport corridor are still very good. After all, it is so far the only shortcut to Europe. The Baku-Supsa oil pipeline is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year. In addition, a railroad ferry connecting Poti and Ilichevsk will be made operational. In the long run, oil will begin to be pumped via Ukraine only when Europe needs it. The international oil consortium does not care very much where to sell oil, whether in Supsa or Gdansk.

As far as the Turkish route goes, one should not forget that Azerbaijan is not the only country on the Caspian Sea which has oil. For instance, the Chevron company has exported 1.2 million tons of oil from Kazakhstan via Georgia. Further, although a Baku-Djeikhan oil pipeline is a costly project, oil customers, especially the United States, show great interest in it. The parties currently negotiating the export of Caspian oil insist on having more than one route of transportation. That is why Ukraine with its oil terminal in Odesa and the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline stands a good chance.

Georgia holds an opinion that the division of the Black Sea Fleet is still a negotiable subject. What is the position of Tbilisi on this issue?

Ukraine and Russia have conducted a series of negotiations on that part of the fleet which is based on Ukrainian territory. Both sides have reached a specific agreement. Now Tbilisi is confronted with the same necessity to find the most appropriate solution to a question concerning 23 warships of the Black Sea Fleet that were previously based in Poti. We can solve the problem, proceeding from the quotas upon which Ukraine and Russia have agreed. Even if we change the quotas, the question has to be settled. We will never agree to give up those ships just like that. We will never be contented that “those ships are just gone... somewhere.” It is in the interest of Russia that Georgia make sure that its 300-kilometer-long maritime border is reliably protected. This issue calls for relevant legislation to be passed which may appear to be helpful when the question of the right to succession arises.

We will ever be thankful to Ukraine that it was the first to extend a helpful hand to Georgia in assisting it to commence its own navy, by presenting us with a coast guard boat and two warships. Turkey gave us two ships, the United States one vessel, and Russia nothing.

After surviving a harsh crisis, will Georgia plan a sweeping reform to radically transform all spheres of life or will it choose slow and gradual change?

Frankly, I would wish no one to experience all those misfortunes that have befallen Georgia in recent years. We no longer have any illusions. The crisis in the economy and politics made us take a sevies of resolute steps to rebuild our economy. And these steps gave positive results: in 1995 GDP showed slight growth. In the two subsequent years economic growth was 11-12% with the annual inflation rate of a mere 7%. Today the private sector gives three-quarters of annual GDP growth and budget revenues. We are trying to show that it is possible to live well in our country. This is why our prime slogan is “get rich.”

The state management system has undergone cardinal reformation. The Cabinet of Ministers has been abolished, as has the post of Premier. Working on the government now are 20 ministers who are subordinated directly to the President. A state minister is appointed to coordinate their work. The Presidential Administration has been replaced by the state office that serves the President and the state minister. Such a system of state management has proven to be very effective. Many are now solved much more easy and quickly.

Does Georgia have corruption?

We feel that this problem is very serious in our society today. In his recent radio address, Eduard Shevardnadze declared that he has made a decision to set up an anti-corruption commission to be chaired by the President himself. The commission is supposed to be made up of the people of unblemished honesty whose salaries will be very high. Of course, corruption is first of all an economic problem but it is deeply rooted in our present-day social evils. Besides, corruption is a sure sign that the problem of creating an efficient structure of governing society is high on the agenda. The more bureaucrats sit in the government, the more opportunities they have for wrongdoing.

Does the Georgian opposition have an opportunity to control matters involving state management?

Yes, it does and very broadly. It is a fact that the fourth estate has a tremendous influence on questions dealing with the governing of the state. Unfortunately, all the press of Georgia is in opposition to the government and often harshly criticizes it. Veiled hints have been voiced by some politicians that the powers of the mass media should be curtailed. In response President Shevardnadze repeatedly stressed that the institution of a free press was very important for building an open society and democracy. In fact, the Georgian press has become more serious. Its infatuation with the yellow press, so characteristic of the post-perestroika period, is gradually disappearing. In recent years, our press has been increasingly often called a scourge. Once ministers were discussing some important matter to find the best solution possible. I heard as they said, rejecting one proposal after another: “No, we cannot do that. The press will tear us into pieces.”

What in your view were the causes of several attempts to assassinate President Shevardnadze?

There is perhaps a whole knot of causes. I can speculate for long who tried to cash in and why. I am sure the assassins are those who are not satisfied with Shevardnadze’s economic and political course in Georgia. They are not happy with the priorities which I’ve mentioned above. One of these priorities is Georgia’s readiness to join any actions to combat international terrorism. By the way, supporters of Ex-President Gamsakhurdia firmly denied any responsibility for both assassination attempts.

At this point a question arises: why are the criminals who committed the first attempt still in Russia and have not been extradited to the Georgian authorities? The explanation provided by the Russian authorities that they cannot find them is preposterous.

Why did a transport plane take off for Russia from a Russian military base the next morning after an assassination attempt? Maybe that flight had nothing to do with the assassination. If so, the chief of the base, having been informed about it, should have had to invite a group of observers to check the cargo and the passengers on that flight. But he did not do so.

The West claims that only a few post-Soviet republics will be able to keep their independence. Is it possible that Georgia won’t be one of them?

Such thing may happen only on one condition, if we join the European Union. I rule out any other possibility. I have reasons for saying this.

In conclusion I’d like to say that I am proud of my country. In spite of great economic, political, and social difficulties that run the gamut of human misfortune, my country has succeeded in keeping the situation under control.

Photo by Oleksiy Stasenko, The Day:

Valery CHECHELASHVILI

 

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