Georgian future depends on Russia and the U.S.

17:5407/07/2009

MOSCOW. (Gocha Dzasokhov, president of the Georgian Peoples Assembly,
for RIA Novosti) – Georgia depends on Russian U.S. relations more than
any other country. In fact, it has become a hostage to these
relations, and I pray to God that the leaders of Russia and the United
States do not discard Georgia as surplus baggage when discussing their
relations for the years ahead.
The great powers should find common language at long last, and turn
the Caucasus into a peaceful region and an attractive example of a
positive synthesis of multilateral interests.
At present, the situation in Georgia is distorted, with efforts
directed at saving the bankrupt authorities rather than helping the
people.
All ethnic groups in Georgia want above all certainty; they want
someone to hear the voice they raised in protest four months ago. They
want Georgia to have a definite future based on a peaceful policy and
the country’s integration as a modern society.
Both God and History have made the partnership of the great powers
responsible for Georgia, and the long-suffering Georgian people expect
them to justify their trust.
If I had a chance to ask the U.S. President a question, I would first
remind Mr. Obama of the words of John F. Kennedy, to whom he is often
compared, about "a new world of law, where the strong are just and the
weak secure and the peace preserved."
Is it fair that Georgia’s policy is determined without taking into
account the opinion and interests of the people who live there?
When discussing the Georgian problem, the presidents of Russia and the
U.S. are bound to touch upon the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia’s
independence. We would like them to respect the opinion of the
Georgian Peoples Assembly, which believes that the recognition of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia has greatly raised the level of
expectations for the Russian political elite.
It is highly important now to find an optimal balance between the
security of the new Caucasian states and a p
would suit all those in the region.
Also, Russia will eventually have to address this challenging problem
because Georgia will never resign itself to the loss of its territory,
and will mount political, diplomatic, and possibly military pressure
through third countries. We must be prepared for this.
Reconciliation will take years of hard work, because we will need to
change the mentality of the people which will be a titanic task.
The program of reconciliation should be drafted by the people and
public organizations of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The
Georgian Peoples Assembly is conducting and will continue to conduct
conferences and consultations on this issue, after which we will need
a referendum. Democracy is the authority of sovereign citizens. Power
must be vested with the citizens, and not a group of politicians.
In the case of a positive outcome of a referendum, we would proceed to
the next stage of reconciliation. It would provide for economic
interaction, joint projects in different economic sectors such as
energy, agriculture, trade, transportation, and tourism that would
benefit all participants, and would also imply the creation of common
customs and currency space.
The Georgian Peoples Assembly believes that the reconciliation process
can start on two conditions: if the regime that launched the
aggression and fratricide in August 2008 is replaced, and if Georgia’s
aggressive foreign policy is changed to a neutral attitude toward its
neighbors based on the principles of friendship.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not
necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress