Georgian president initiates US, EU to Appoint Conflict Representative in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, September 12
Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili voiced a proposal to the United States or the European Union to appoint a representative for conflict in Georgia. The President made the statement while addressing the participants of the Annual Tbilisi International Conference organized by McCain Institute and the Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC).
Zourabishvili stated that there is a need that Georgia’s partners again raised the issue of Georgia in formal and informal discussions with Russia in both bilateral and multilateral formats and remind them of their commitments.
“Since my election,I have been actively working through my contacts, and visits to put back Georgia on the map, and in the minds of all our partners to go beyond mere declarations recognizing our territorial integrity, this is not enough. Effective diplomacy is more,” she said.
According to Zurabishvili, the format of Geneva International Discussions should be revised and it should become a political discussion at the level of ministers and not only experts.
“We have to make it a format for solving conflict, not for managing it. Hence, the call of our partners to restore the Georgian issue in all bilateral or multilateral discussions with Russia, formal or informal. It should remind Russia of its commitments, and the ceasefire agreement, in particular, de-escalation on the ABL, allowing the EUMM to monitor the whole region. We should start with that,” she said.
The President said she believes additional formats can also be imagined. For example, the United States or the EU can appoint special representatives for Georgia, and the Georgian conflict, in addition to their envoys in Ukraine.
“We have to find ways that offer a less formal platform for discussion, and maybe to try to recreate some form of confidence, and space necessary to progress. The main thing is not to let any stone unturned to get movement, and to reopen perspectives,’ she said.
Expert Nika Chitadze says the initiative of President Zurabishvili will not change the situation radically if the West does not tighten sanctions against Russia.
Chitadze noted that the sanctions imposed on Russia "are not fully effective.''
“Of course, it is important to appoint a US or EU representative to Georgia on conflict issues, but on the other hand, this cannot radically change the situation unless concrete practical action is taken. For example, sanctions should be tightened against Russia and the sanctions that were introduced are not fully effective because Russia's ambitions have not weakened,” he said.
According to him, it is also important that the format of the EUMM is changed both qualitatively and quantitatively and that the posts of the EUMM representatives be deployed alongside the Georgian police checkpoints.
“It is also important that the US opens a military base in Georgia. This would show that Georgia has a reliable partner, which, along with the EU can take important steps to defuse the situation,” the expert underlined.
