NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed concern about the situation in Georgia, noting that he is “not naive” about the events taking place. Radar Armenia spoke to Georgian expert Edward Berujanyan on the topic.
–What factors influence the internal situation in Georgia, and what impact can these developments have on the country’s future membership prospects?
-Georgia has had some problems with the West in recent years due to its foreign policy, and this is becoming increasingly acute. Among other statements, the latest statement by the NATO Secretary General should be viewed in the context of these relations. The Georgian authorities, Georgian Dream, and Prime Minister Kobakhidze announced after the last parliamentary elections that they would freeze the membership application until 2028, which further aggravated the situation. From the general developments, it becomes clear that the trust in relations between Georgia and the West that existed 10 years ago no longer exists today. The West, first of all, blames the Georgian authorities for their current foreign policy direction.
– According to Rutten, the situation around Georgia should be viewed in the context of the South Caucasus. Are escalations possible, given the conflict environment in the region?
– The signing of the Washington Agreement tends to increase trust. The West, taking into account the latest developments and the Armenia-Azerbaijan meetings, sees an increase in the circle of trust. The NATO Secretary General also noted that, at the moment, Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a better position than Georgia. This, of course, was taken into account across the South Caucasus. In this way, the West builds its policy more systematically. At the same time, the West provides significant support to opposition circles in Georgia, further aggravating relations with the Georgian authorities. This affects both NATO and the formats of economic cooperation.
-Will the membership application be granted?
-As Kobakhidze mentioned, membership negotiations are suspended until 2028, and there is no progress. Until 2028, if there are no new announcements, there will be no new negotiations or discussions on membership and inclusion in the West, unless Georgian Dream and Kobakhidze announce something new. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2028, and depending on whether Georgian Dream remains in power, this process may be postponed or altered.
