Georgia’s ambassador to ntv.de: “We have to expect provocations every day”

Georgia sees the war against Ukraine “as a continuation of the aggression that we have been seeing since 2008,” Georgian ambassador Levan Izoria said in an interview with ntv.de. His country aspires to membership in the EU and NATO; So far, Germany has been on the brakes here. These are the topics that should also be discussed when Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili comes to Berlin this Wednesday. Garibashvili comes “also with the intention of sending important political signals,” says Ambassador Izoria.

ntv.de: Mr. Ambassador, Georgia in the South Caucasus and Germany are a good 3,500 kilometers apart. How deep are the ties between two countries so far apart?

Levan Izoria: They’re quite tight. This year we celebrate 30 years of the resumption of diplomatic relations. During this time, Germany has actively supported Georgia in all areas – politics, economy, culture, education. In particular, I would like to underline support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. Not only bilaterally, but also within the framework of the Eastern Partnership [einem Projekt der Europäischen Union] Germany has supported us to the best of its ability on the way to EU integration.

What about economic cooperation?

The EU is our most important trading partner, Germany takes 8th place. Georgia mainly exports agricultural products. But we also have ambitions in the energy sector. Development Minister Svenja Schulze recently traveled to Georgia to get an idea of ​​how bilateral cooperation on renewable energies and energy efficiency can be promoted. This visit was also important for European politics, as part of the geostrategic reorientation of the EU, which is currently researching alternative energy supply routes.

Despite the potential in renewable energy sources and hydrogen, your country currently still has to import energy. Where do the energy supplies come from?

There is a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan. We get gas and some oil from here. Some of the electricity is generated on site.

It is said that the Caspian riparian states, above all Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, are currently examining alternative transport routes for their oil and gas supplies to Europe, which have so far passed through Russia. What do you know about these projects that Georgia would also benefit from?

We are willing to offer ourselves as a transit country. Since May 2006, the South Caucasus pipeline has been transporting Azerbaijani gas to Turkey via Georgia. In the same year, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was put into operation. But we also want to open up additional capacities. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was recently in Baku to agree on additional gas imports. But for higher delivery quantities you need an infrastructure. The new connectivity between Central Asia, the Caspian region, the South Caucasus and Europe is only possible with several partners. There are already projects like the OSCE’s “Green Ports” project, in which Germany was also involved. We hope that concrete steps will follow soon.

European integration and NATO accession are enshrined in the Georgian constitution. At the EU summit in June, however, your application for admission was rejected – in contrast to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova – and reforms were called for. Do you understand this decision?

First of all, it is incorrect to speak of the rejection of the application for admission. On the contrary: the European Council’s decision has opened up the prospect of EU membership for Georgia. The application was originally planned for 2024. However, due to the changed geopolitical situation, we decided to move forward earlier and submitted the application on March 3, shortly after Ukraine. By the way, the Georgian government already announced this goal before the last elections. Although we currently lack candidate country status, for the first time in history we have a clear EU perspective. It is a great success for Georgia. We very much appreciate this decision by the EU, although I believe that Georgia very much deserves candidate status. Incidentally, all three countries have received recommendations. Georgia is no exception in this respect. However, we want to do everything that depends on us and tackle the points mentioned in the statement by the EU Commission.

Can you see a connection between the 2008 Russo-Georgian war and the current war being waged by Moscow against Ukraine?

We see the war in Ukraine as a continuation of the aggression we have seen since 2008. Since then, Russian troops have been stationed in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Before the Russian attack on Ukraine, there were 10,000 men. There are military bases with modern weapons 50 kilometers from the capital. These areas are sealed off from the rest of the country. The situation is relatively stable at the moment, but we have to reckon with provocations on a daily basis.

In areas controlled by its troops, Russia is in the habit of distributing Russian passports among the population. In your opinion, what is the calculation behind it?

They have also distributed Russian passports to us, as Russia usually does when it intends to justify the occupation and subsequent annexation of a country. You artificially create a section of the population that is susceptible to Russian influence. Once these people are Russian citizens, you have an excuse to defend this group, including with military means, and to be able to justify this action. Ultimately, it is a question of incorporating these areas into the Russian Federation. In South Ossetia in May there were reports of plans to hold a referendum on accession to the Russian Federation before the end of the summer. This vote has been postponed, but it cannot be ruled out for the future.

How does your government react to such provocations?

We rely exclusively on peaceful solutions and primarily want to convince people with positive incentives, i.e. through economic success, development of the rule of law, in short everything that makes a country attractive to live in. This also includes accession to the EU.

What defense strategy is the Georgian government pursuing in order to be safe from aggression by its major Russian neighbor to the north?

Georgia is a partner and aspirant to NATO. The strategic goal of joining NATO determines our national development. We don’t look at this alliance only from the military side. It is a driving force for political developments such as democratic institutions, the rule of law or human rights. We are already a reliable partner of NATO and have been part of various international missions. In Afghanistan, for example, we were represented by 870 soldiers, which is a considerable contingent for a small country like Georgia.

Let’s get back to the EU accession process. The EU Commission issued twelve recommendations. Georgia can only count on candidate status if these requirements are met. Is there already concrete progress and a timetable for the individual activities?

The Georgian government takes EU tasks seriously. Shortly after the recommendations were announced, the relevant parliamentary committees set up five working groups, including those for parliamentary control, electoral law and judicial reform – particularly with regard to the election of the Attorney General – combating corruption and de-oligarchisation. MEPs from all parties and NGOs represented in parliament, including opposition parties, should be involved in the working groups, as far as the specification is concerned. Unfortunately, some representatives of the opposition have refused to cooperate and would rather work on their own projects. It’s a pity, because the EU Commission wants to see results achieved together. We want to finish the main part of the work by the end of the year and finish everything next year at the latest.

Are most people still behind the European project? How important is the prospect of accession?

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there have been no voices in Georgia seriously questioning the country’s western orientation. Practically 85 percent of the population are in favor of EU integration, and around 75 are in favor of joining NATO. Incidentally, the governing party also won the last elections with these issues. When Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili pays an official visit to Germany on September 14, it is also with the intention of sending out important political signals. We are part of Europe. In 2023 Georgia is the partner country of the International Tourism Exchange in Berlin. We want to tie in with the experience of the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Georgia was Guest of Honor in 2018. For us, the ITB is an ideal opportunity to present our country, its history, culture, including Georgian wine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to the world.

Svetlana Alexeeva spoke with Levan Izoria