Georgia skeptical about stability platform

Turkey understands the normalization of relations with Armenia as lying within the framework of the Caucasus Stability Platform. The Turkish President is optimistic about the future of this initiative, which was aired by Turkey right after the August war broke out and Russia invaded Georgian territory. The platform states that five countries: Turkey, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, should resolve the South Caucasus’ problems themselves in order to establish stability in the Caucasus as a whole.

Speaking to journalists in Washington DC right after his meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze highlighted that there are no official relations whatsoever between Georgia and Russia, just as there are none between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and although Turkey intends to reconcile all sides this is impossible within such a format. Such issues need serious preparations, long and complicated work.

Georgia does not like the idea of establishing relations with Russia directly without Western involvement, because Russia is the biggest and only threat to Tbilisi. Russia’s aggression was not stopped by Turkey and it will not be stopped by Turkey if it happens again. The major precondition of establishing such a platform, highlighted Vashadze, is the mutual upholding of the norms of international law, which are being violated brutally by the Russian side. Without this there will never be peace in the Caucasus.

Foreign Minister Vashadze is also skeptical about the opening of the Turkish-Armenian border.