USINFO.STATE.GOV
10 May 2005

Rice Espouses Peaceful Settlement of Georgia’s Internal Conflicts

Secretary of state predicts democratic Georgia will be “magnet”
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the United States and the
international community will try to help Georgia to resolve the conflicts in
South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but she predicts that as Georgia becomes more
democratic and economically successful, “you will see that people want to be
a part of Georgia.”
“A unified Georgia that is democratic is going to be a magnet for all kinds
of people,” Rice told an interviewer on Imedi TV in Tbilisi, Georgia, May
10. “This can be a great multiethnic democracy and that, I think, is really
Georgia’s future.”
Rice was accompanying President Bush on a four-nation European visit that
concluded in Georgia. Bush attended commemorations in Russia and the
Netherlands for the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe
and also visited Latvia and Georgia to promote freedom and democracy.
When asked whether Georgian troops trained under the U.S.-funded
counterterrorist “train and equip” program could take part in the settlement
of internal conflicts such as those in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Rice
responded:
“[W]e do not believe in the use of military force in these internal
conflicts and therefore . forces that were trained by the United States,
could not be used in those conflicts.”
The purpose of the train-and-equip program, according to remarks at a
February 5, 2004, briefing by then-Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs Elizabeth Jones, “was to enable the Georgian government
to begin to take control over its territory in order to stop the flow of
terrorists from the Pankisi Gorge into Chechnya.” The fourth and final
trained battalion graduated in May 2004.
“These are issues that need to be resolved politically and diplomatically,”
Rice told Imedi TV.
People might want some autonomy in their local affairs, she noted, but “I do
believe that as the democracy develops here, there will be reason for people
who now live in Abkhazia or live in South Ossetia to really want to be a
part of this great Georgian democracy.”
Abkhazia and South Ossetia sought to secede from Georgia during the breakup
of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Rice said the Bush visit has offered confirmation that Georgia “is on a
democratic path.” Building democracy is not easy, she acknowledged. It
means having a strong legislative branch, a strong independent judiciary,
rooting out corruption in government, and allowing the economy to be free of
too much government interference.
“These are the foundations of democracy, and along with freedom of speech,
freedom of worship and protection of minority rights, that’s how you build a
democracy,” Rice said. “And so I’m confident that that is the road that
Georgia is on. It’s why I believe that our friendship is only going to get
deeper over time.”
The secretary added that “Georgia is a wonderful example for people in this
entire region of what can happen when people start to take their rightful
place in the communities around them.”
In response to a question, Rice said the United States has “no intention of
using military force in Iran.” She said the United States is working with
the European Union negotiators to “support their negotiations to get Iran to
live up to its international obligations.”
As for democracy, she said, “I firmly believe that Iran will not be immune
to the changes that are going on in the world.”
Following is a transcript of Rice’s interview:
(begin transcript)
U.S. Department of State
Office of the Spokesman
May 10, 2005
INTERVIEW
SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE
ON IMEDI TV WITH REVAZ SAKEVARISHVILI
May 10, 2005
Tbilisi Marriott Hotel
Tbilisi, Georgia
(12:20 p.m. Local)
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: Madame Secretary, welcome to Georgia. I’d like to thank
you on behalf of our company. During the time schedule, you have found a
few minutes to answer our questions. The first question; how successful was
your visit to Russia and Georgia? And what can we expect from this visit?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, let me start with the visit to Georgia. This has
been a wonderful visit. The President last night had a great introduction
to Georgian culture, and to Georgian hospitality. Georgia is a country that
the United States considers a good friend. And it’s a good friend not just
because of what Georgia has done to support us in the war on terrorism in
Iraq or Afghanistan, or because of our deep cultural ties, but because we
share values. And it has become very clear that the world has been inspired
by the Rose Revolution. So this trip has been terrific. I think the
President is having a good time and we look forward to many, many years of
excellent relations between the United States and Georgia.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: Georgia hopes to get support from the United States in
order to restore its territorial integrity. Georgian government officials
often say that Russia is the main negative factor that prevents Georgia from
achieving this. What do you think Washington can do to help Georgia in this
mentioned above?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, we’ve had good discussions with the Russians over the
years but also when we were in Moscow, about the importance of Georgian
territorial integrity and the move for a unified Georgia. I do believe that
there are really two aspects to this. One is that the international
community could be helpful. In South Ossetia, for instance, at times the
OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] has been
involved. In Abkhazia, the United Nations has a role to play. And so the
United States in conjunction with the international community will try and
help Georgia to resolve these difficult conflicts. But it’s also the case
that the stronger Georgia becomes economically, the more vibrant this
democracy becomes, I think that you will see that people want to be a part
of Georgia. Yes, people may want some autonomy in their local affairs —
they may want some local control over some issues. But a unified Georgia
that is democratic is going to be a magnet for all kinds of people. This
can be a great multi-ethnic democracy and that, I think, is really Georgia’s
future.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: A couple years ago an American-funded Train and Equip
program was started. Initially the White House stated that American-trained
troops were not entitled to take part in the settlement of internal
conflicts. Is there any possibility that Washington’s position may change?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, we believe strongly that there should not be the use
of military force in these internal conflicts. We have made that clear with
the Georgian government. In fact, these are issues that need to be resolved
politically and diplomatically. I do believe that as the democracy develops
here, there will be reason for people who now live in Abkhazia or live in
South Ossetia to really want to be a part of this great Georgian democracy.
All forces for Train and Equip were to ensure that Georgia could fight
terrorism. We started in the Pankisi George and I think we’ve had some
great success there. But it is really the case that we do not believe in
the use of military force in these internal conflicts and therefore American
forces, forces that were trained by the United States, could not be used in
those conflicts.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: In his annual report President Bush mentioned Iran as
the danger of freedom and democracy around the world. What’s the plan that
Washington has to deal with this problem? Is there any chance that an
anti-Iran operation could resemble anti-Iraq one, and what part could
Georgia play?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, we have no intention of using military force in Iran.
The fact is that conflicts are different. And Iraq had for twelve years,
twelve long years, defied the international community. It was time to deal
with this brutal dictator in Iraq. Iran is a country where we have many,
many concerns about Iran’s role in funding terrorism in the Palestinian
territories, in Lebanon, in other parts of the world and we all as a world
need to deal with Iran. Funding and support for terrorism, which is open
that they support terrorism. We also have to deal with Iran’s ambitions for
nuclear technology to complete to a nuclear weapons program. And there, we
are working with the Europeans to try and support their negotiations to get
Iran to live up to its international obligations.
Now as to democracy, I firmly believe that Iran will not be immune to the
changes that are going on in the world. If you look around the world,
people are demanding their democratic right. And the Iranian people are a
sophisticated people, they are worldly people. They want to be a part of
the international community. And they are being denied their rights by an
unelected few in Iran who want to impose their particular view of the
relationship between religion and politics on the Iranian population. Iran
is a proud and great nation. And Iran will find its place in democratic
values, because as you know it’s not too far from here. But the freedom,
and the spirit of freedom that is spreading throughout the world, Iran is
not going to be easy.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: Do you think that the attitude of Washington towards
Georgia would change, according to democracy in Georgia?
SECRETARY RICE: Well, we believe that Georgia is on a democratic path. And
everything that I have seen since I’ve been here, and I think that
everything that the President has seen since he’s been here is that Georgia
is on a democratic path. It is not easy to build democracy and we
understand that it’s not just having luncheons, the President will say that
to the Georgian leaders. He’s said it in his speech, that it’s not just
having luncheons, it’s building democratic institutions. We were able to
meet with the Speaker of the Parliament. It means having a strong
legislative branch. It means having a strong independent judiciary. It
means rooting out corruption in government. It means allowing the economy
to be free of too much government interference. These are the foundations
of democracy, and along with freedom of speech, freedom of worship and
protection of minority rights, that’s how you build a democracy. And so I’m
confident that that is the road that Georgia is on. It’s why I believe that
our friendship is only going to get deeper over time.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: During your visit to Riga, President Bush met with the
Presidents of the Baltic States. But in Tbilisi he did not agree to meet
with leaders of two other Caucasian countries. What’s the reason for this?
The level of democracy or anything else?
SECRETARY RICE: Oh, the visit to the Baltic States was a particular kind,
the President went to Latvia, he had been to Lithuania, and as you know, of
course the Baltic States are members of NATO, they are allies and so he
wanted to bring them all together; but we have relations with Azerbaijan, we
have relations with Armenia, and we value those relations. We do believe
that it is important that democracy spreads in the Caucasus. Georgia is a
wonderful example for people in this entire region of what can happen when
people start to take their rightful place in the communities around them.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: Thank you for your time. I hope it’s not your last
visit.
SECRETARY RICE: Oh, I think it will not be my last visit to Georgia. It’s
a wonderful place and I’ve always loved coming to Georgia. And I very much
support coming again.
MR. SAKEVARISHVILI: Thank you.
(end transcript)
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