Achievements in Foreign Policy

While assessing the results of 2010 it should be mentioned that in the direction of foreign policy, Georgia had certain positive achievements. The first and most significant of course is that eventually Georgia managed to start establish a worldwide conception of Russia as an occupier (Russia currently occupies 1/5 of Georgia’s territory). So it could be considered that this is the most important achievement in foreign policy for the country. Of course if we take an overview of Georgia's history for the last 2-3 years, the biggest challenge for the country was experienced in August of 2008, when Moscow launched full scale military attack on Georgia and as a result of which, the Kremlin recognized two breakaway territories of Georgia as independent states. However Moscow’s attempts to achieve recognition of these entities by other countries failed with only three countries doing so.

There was yet another issue which could be considered as positive in Georgian foreign policy. Several times President Saakashvili and his administration expressed their readiness to start negotiations with Moscow’s leadership, whereas the Kremlin stubbornly refuses to do so and of course the worldwide opinion judges accordingly; praising Georgia and condemning Russia.

From the foreign policy point of view, this autumn was particularly successful. First, there was the Warsaw NATO parliamentary assembly, followed by the NATO Lisbon summit and the year was ended with the OSCE Astana summit. In all these conventions, the international community was openly disputing Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories and demanded that Russia fulfill its commitments outlined in the Medvedev-Sarkozy agreement from August 12, 2008.

Moscow’s attempt to isolate Saakashvili was also unsuccessful. Recently, Obama and Saakashvili met during the Lisbon summit and as a culmination of the event, president Saakashvili spoke at the parliamentary assembly for the council of Europe, where he once again confirmed Russia’s imperialistic ambitions and Georgia’s position to solve the conflict peacefully. Concerning the issue of non-force, it should be noted that Saakashvili and his administration have publicly announced, several times, Georgia’s commitment not to use force in any situation.

The success of Georgian policy is also due to the fact that despite warming relations between Russia and leading western countries, relations are not warming at the expense of Georgia. Everybody is highlighting that cooperation with Russia is possible although it has to fulfill its international commitments and give up its territorial claims against Georgia.

In 2010 Georgia was actively communicating with world countries, establishing diplomatic relations with the countries of the Central and South America, Africa and Asia. It has also opened several embassies in different countries. Georgia managed to successfully continue friendly relations with the new ruling administrations of Ukraine and Poland, and has activated its relations with Belarus. Georgia also activated its policy towards the Caucasus region, allowing Russian citizens residing in Russia to enter Georgia without visa for 90 days. Georgia is actively participating in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan as a member of the coalition. Its contingent proportional to its population is the third largest. After a comparatively modest 2009 it could be said that 2010 was filled with serious achievements, which gives ground to suppose that 2011 will be also successful.