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GIORGI GVIMRADZE: IN TBILISI THEY TAKE PARTNERSHIP WITH ANKARA AS PART OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
ArmInfo's Interview with Giorgi Gvimradze, expert at the Strategic
Research Institute (Tbilisi)
by David Stepanyan
Tuesday, January 14, 18:24
During a conference in Yerevan, one of the Russian experts said in
your presence that Russia would very soon "get direct communication
with Armenia by taking up the matter of the South Ossetian borders
with Georgia". To what extent do such statements meet the recent
trends in the Georgian-Russian relations?
Unfortunately, such statements are made quite often. In practice,
however, such projects are unexecutable. Therefore, it would be
wrong to comment on them. In fact, the Georgian-Russian relations
are gradually improving.
According to International Alert's survey, the restoration of the
Abkhazian railway will require $277.5 mln, which will pay off no
in some 100 years. It is noteworthy that according to the official
conclusions of Abkhazian experts, $350-400mln is needed, whereas
Georgian experts think that the project will require no more than
$73 mln. What is your opinion about that?
I think we can spend $30 million needed for restoration of the
Abkhazian railway section controlled by Georgia. In fact, according to
the survey of International Alert, restoration of the railway through
Ankhazia will bring no benefit. On the other hand, the project will
be undoubtedly a positive one in the political sense, from the point
of view of establishment of both Georgia-Abkhazia relations and
Georgia-Russia relations. The government of Georgia has expressed
readiness to discuss the issue on opening of the Abkhazian section of
the railway. However, we still have no strict response of the Russian
government on the matter. Meanwhile, as Russian experts say, Russia is
very much interested in opening of the railway, but the government is
still silent. As far as I know, our proposal was welcomed in Yerevan.
But Abkhazia has certain concerns in the matter.
Many people in Georgia blamed the former president Mikheil Saakashvili
for his excessively pro-Turkish policy running counter to the
Georgians' interests. What trends do you observe in the Turkish vector
of the new authorities' policy?
In Tbilisi they take the partnership with Ankara as part of the
European integration, as the new authorities of Georgia still seek
integration with the West. Europe and USA are very important actors
for Turks. Western sales markets are also important for Ankara. In this
light, both Georgia and Tbilisi look at the West. It is important that
we consider Turkey as a strategically important, serious economic
partner. The transit gas and oil pipelines stretching along our
territories give us a brilliant opportunity to have ties and, hence,
relations with Europe. Many Turks live and have their own business
in Tbilisi. In small Adjara their number has reached 25,000 people,
which is a big percentage of the total population. At the same time,
I am sure that the Georgians will be able to digest the number of
Turks in case of a policy meeting the interests of the vast majority
of the population of Georgia.
For the moment, nearly 400,000 people live in Adjara, and 25% of them
are Muslims. Around 40,000 Turkish citizens are at the same time
citizens of Georgia due to Turkey's economic expansion in Georgia
and, first and foremost, in Adjara. Are the 0.5 mln Georgian Muslims
a problem from the political point of view?
Indeed, almost 15% of the Georgian population is Muslims. However,
they are not a political factor given their factionalism and low
integration into the public and political life of Georgia. Muslims of
Georgia are divided into different groups, religious currents. They
are low educated and practically do not speak Georgian, staying aside
from the public life in Georgia. Therefore, we do not take Turkey's
activity as an expansion, despite regular statements of some experts
on quite opposite trends.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=F7BCD750-7D2F-11E3-9B870EB7C0D21663
From: A. Papazian
ArmInfo's Interview with Giorgi Gvimradze, expert at the Strategic
Research Institute (Tbilisi)
by David Stepanyan
Tuesday, January 14, 18:24
During a conference in Yerevan, one of the Russian experts said in
your presence that Russia would very soon "get direct communication
with Armenia by taking up the matter of the South Ossetian borders
with Georgia". To what extent do such statements meet the recent
trends in the Georgian-Russian relations?
Unfortunately, such statements are made quite often. In practice,
however, such projects are unexecutable. Therefore, it would be
wrong to comment on them. In fact, the Georgian-Russian relations
are gradually improving.
According to International Alert's survey, the restoration of the
Abkhazian railway will require $277.5 mln, which will pay off no
in some 100 years. It is noteworthy that according to the official
conclusions of Abkhazian experts, $350-400mln is needed, whereas
Georgian experts think that the project will require no more than
$73 mln. What is your opinion about that?
I think we can spend $30 million needed for restoration of the
Abkhazian railway section controlled by Georgia. In fact, according to
the survey of International Alert, restoration of the railway through
Ankhazia will bring no benefit. On the other hand, the project will
be undoubtedly a positive one in the political sense, from the point
of view of establishment of both Georgia-Abkhazia relations and
Georgia-Russia relations. The government of Georgia has expressed
readiness to discuss the issue on opening of the Abkhazian section of
the railway. However, we still have no strict response of the Russian
government on the matter. Meanwhile, as Russian experts say, Russia is
very much interested in opening of the railway, but the government is
still silent. As far as I know, our proposal was welcomed in Yerevan.
But Abkhazia has certain concerns in the matter.
Many people in Georgia blamed the former president Mikheil Saakashvili
for his excessively pro-Turkish policy running counter to the
Georgians' interests. What trends do you observe in the Turkish vector
of the new authorities' policy?
In Tbilisi they take the partnership with Ankara as part of the
European integration, as the new authorities of Georgia still seek
integration with the West. Europe and USA are very important actors
for Turks. Western sales markets are also important for Ankara. In this
light, both Georgia and Tbilisi look at the West. It is important that
we consider Turkey as a strategically important, serious economic
partner. The transit gas and oil pipelines stretching along our
territories give us a brilliant opportunity to have ties and, hence,
relations with Europe. Many Turks live and have their own business
in Tbilisi. In small Adjara their number has reached 25,000 people,
which is a big percentage of the total population. At the same time,
I am sure that the Georgians will be able to digest the number of
Turks in case of a policy meeting the interests of the vast majority
of the population of Georgia.
For the moment, nearly 400,000 people live in Adjara, and 25% of them
are Muslims. Around 40,000 Turkish citizens are at the same time
citizens of Georgia due to Turkey's economic expansion in Georgia
and, first and foremost, in Adjara. Are the 0.5 mln Georgian Muslims
a problem from the political point of view?
Indeed, almost 15% of the Georgian population is Muslims. However,
they are not a political factor given their factionalism and low
integration into the public and political life of Georgia. Muslims of
Georgia are divided into different groups, religious currents. They
are low educated and practically do not speak Georgian, staying aside
from the public life in Georgia. Therefore, we do not take Turkey's
activity as an expansion, despite regular statements of some experts
on quite opposite trends.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=F7BCD750-7D2F-11E3-9B870EB7C0D21663
From: A. Papazian