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Seminar on "Georgian Foreign Policy Visions and Georgian-Turkish Relations” Held at USAK Conference Hall |
30 May 2012by Emre Tunc Sakaoglu, JTW
International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) proudly announces that today, a seminar of two hours on Georgian foreign policy vision through a scope of its bilateral relations with Turkey was held with Prof. Dr. Kamer Kasim as the moderator, and His Excellency Nikoloz Vashakidze, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, as the speaker. Among the attendees were esteemed journalists from Turkish and international media as well as academicians of relevant studies.
Before the headlines were analyzed in depth, a brief introduction to the recent history of bilateral exchanges between the two abovementioned countries was presented by Prof. Dr. Kamer Kasim, an expert on Caucasian affairs and Vice President of USAK. Thereafter, Nikoloz Vashakidze made a comprehensive but prospective speech basing the arguments of his country on current dynamics of Georgia’s bilateral relations from a multidimensional scope with Turkey and Russia at the outset and with the rest of her neighbors; and afterwards referred as well to Georgia’s developing multilateral relations with EU and within the framework of NATO.
According to Nikoloz Vashakidze, Turkey is the preeminent strategic partner of Georgia on international stage and currently, the relations between the former and the latter reached new heights in terms of cooperation on wide range of fields, as well as investments and key industries and infrastructures of the Georgian state. Total volume of trade between the two sides has approached 1.5 billion dollars as nearly 1.2 billion of this amount corresponds to Turkish exports to Georgia. Turkey’s ‘zero-problem’ policy vision enabled the two countries to cooperate for the spread of further prosperity and for enhancing capabilities to maintain credible stability in the future throughout the region. Moreover, with the help of the abolishment of stricter border controls between the two states and joint renovation efforts on border gates, both the energy routes and transportation facilities are now able to connect Asia with Europe un-interruptedly, on the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Turkey. The latter, as the current principle trade partner of Georgia with exchanges on commercial grounds as well as on diplomatic level mounting up especially during the period between 2002 and 2011, constitutes an exemplary figure of strategic partnership with regards to Georgia’s developing relations with the EU and NATO.
Vashakidze also pointed out three prominent aspects of Georgian foreign policy vision. First of all, prospects for future NATO enlargement, and further association efforts with EU are hope-inspiring, as manifested by Nikoloz Vashakidze. His Excellencies clarified his country’s firm stance towards further democratization efforts to be carried out in Georgia as both presidential elections and parliamentary elections are approaching. Fighting corruption, and building the legal and political infrastructure for the fade in of a healthy democracy was a hard task after seventy years of totalitarian rule over Georgia as put forward by Vashakidze; but his country has taken huge steps toward the goal of liberal democracy until now. Also making a mention on the prospects of current talks for free trade agreements with the US and the EU, Georgian Deputy FM underlined the fact that their leadership is eagerly working for the achievement of this very goal as soon as 2013.
A second point made by Vashakidze was regarding the contextual background which entails Georgia’s ongoing structural conflict with Russia on geopolitical grounds in the Caucasus. Georgia is a country facing no significant frictions other than the one with Russia which peaked with the War of August 2008. Indeed, Georgia’s conflict with Russia cannot be correlated with personal averseness between Putin and Georgia’s current leader; and building such a correlation is unfortunately a common misinterpretation of an issue as such which has its roots in deeper strategic considerations. Saakashvili was preceded by three presidents before him and all were face to face with problems mounting up between Georgia and Russia, as a result of Russia’s persistent strategic consideration of and aggressive interference on Caucasian stage as Russian foreign policy perspective evaluates South Caucasus still as an integral part of Russian sphere of influence. Addressing during his speech the vitality of respect for sovereign states’ territorial integrity, Dr. Vashakidze underlined his country’s urge to support a peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia as well, and not bringing the issue to an irreversible deadlock as according to His Excellency, Russia did by not recognizing the popular and legitimate government of Georgia during and after the Russian-Georgian war in 2008.
Finally, Deputy FM shed light on the attitude of his government pertaining to the ongoing international dispute on the nuclear program of Iran, as a response to one of the questions directed toward him. During the final session of the conference, Vashakidze gave voice to his country’s concerns on losing grounds for peace in the Caucasus as the military development efforts around the region threaten stability and prosperity. The break out of a war would mean devastation and frustration for all actors in the region and avoiding such an option should be pushed for by any responsible state, as far as possible. |
30 May 2012
Journal of Turkish Weekly
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