“This is an important positive development in the Georgian politics”
Parliament unanimously confirmed accession to the EU and NATO as the national goal
If anyone had any doubts about the Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration, these doubts have been dispelled lately, as the Georgian parliament voted unanimously for the resolution “On the Foreign Policy Guidelines.” The document states that the accession to the European Union and NATO are still Georgia’s top priorities, while for the time being, the nation is planning “to continue to contribute to international peacekeeping, policing and civilian administration assistance operations.”
The resolution rules out restoration of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia, saying that “Georgia shall not have diplomatic relations with the states that recognize the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region, South Ossetia” and forbidding the government to enter into “any military-political or customs alliances” with such states.
“This is a very important positive development in the Georgian politics, as the parliamentary minority and majority were able to agree on the text. The resolution reflects the priorities of Georgia’s foreign policy, which have been declared by the new government, and we should welcome the minority’s support for them,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Maia Panjikidze stated after the vote.
At the same time, the deputy speaker of parliament and a member of the opposition United National Movement faction Giorgi Baramidze said: “On behalf of the minority, I would like to express our appreciation for the document for which we all voted. It came as a result of mutual concessions and compromises. Naturally, we supported and voted for the document which contains all the national priorities.”
It is possible that the resolution’s adoption was facilitated by the meeting between President Mikheil Saakashvili and Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili. Significantly, it was their first conversation after Ivanishvili’s takeover of the Georgian government.
According to the political analyst Ghia Nodia, the resolution’s adoption came as a result of compromise, as tensions between the prime minister and the president remain “quite high.” The expert also believes that the document will have a positive impact on the Georgia-EU relations. “However, these statements are not followed by active policies, in contrast to the Saakashvili era,” Nodia told The Day.
Nodia added that the resolution will not sit well with the Kremlin. “Russia’s position is quite clear in this regard, as it sees no reason for concessions, however slight. They are waiting for some unspecified concessions on the Georgian government’s part.”
His colleague Nika Chitadze is not ruling out that “a political deal has been struck between the ruling party and the opposition” as a precondition for the resolution’s adoption. “You see, they are now considering amending the constitution of Georgia. On the one hand, they must meet the demands of the opposition calling for the clearly defined foreign policy. On the other hand, they need the parliamentary minority’s support for the constitutional amendments which would limit the president’s powers,” the political analyst said. At the same time, Chitadze agrees with Nodia in that the big question is “what will be the practical effect of the foreign policy priorities which are declared by the ruling party?”
Chitadze is similarly sure that the Kremlin will not be pleased with the resolution. “However, Georgia had no choice. On the one hand, it will worsen the bilateral relations, but the nation needs such a document. On the other hand, when one takes into account that Russia is conducting talks with Georgia and simultaneously increasing its military presence on the occupied territories, or Putin’s meeting with Ankvab in Moscow on March 12 [Ankvab is the president of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia. – Ed.], then the resolution looks like a sensible response on the Georgian authorities’ part,” Chitadze said.
