New security concept

Shortly Georgia will have a new security concept, the previous one was adopted by Georgia in 2005 however it has become obsolete. In practice, after 2008, the Georgian security concept was turned upside down and now the parliament is discussing a new version.

The Georgian government could not adopt a security concept for some time before the Rose revolution as there were some vague aspects and the country’s leadership did not want to upset its northern neighbor. But since the Rose revolution, strategic uncertainty came to an end.. The current security concept named strategic partners as Georgia, USA, Turkey, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. This document also excluded the notion of large scale aggression from Russia. The existing concept scarcely considered the probability of Russia’s military assault against Georgia.

After the Russian aggression it has become evident that Georgia needed a new document but it took time, approximately 2 years. Crucial amendments are those concerning Russia, now this country it openly named as a threat for Georgia. In the security concept of 2005 Russia was not named as a threat to Georgia, Tbilisi thought that Moscow would change its policy towards Tbilisi and the problems would be settled peacefully. After 2008 it has become clear that Russia is a source of threat and aggression and this time the Georgian security concept will indicate the Kremlin as a source of utmost threat for Georgia, this is the most fundamental change in the document.

Currently, the Secretary of the Security Council of Georgia is Giga Bokeria, who stated that parliament could take a very substantial role in the document. He also thinks that the document is a very important one and in which the opposition should also participate. This is the document where the opposition and ruling power should have a common vision, thinks head of the parliament David Bakradze. In a discussion over the security concept issues, all sides of the opposition forces plan to participate: parliamentary as well as non parliamentary. Christian Democrat Giorgi Targamadze thinks that this security concept is not of any political party but it is actually a document which is important for the whole country. It should be followed with other documents concerning defense and a security system. He also highlighted the importance of Christian orthodoxy in the document as well as other confessions to be considered. Different analysts and experts are also participating in the discussion. The national security concept will represent the vision of the entire nation. It should be providing total care for the state and all of its citizens.