Mediamax’s interview with Professor of Tbilisi State University Zurab Davitashvili.

(The interview was recorded in Tbilisi on November 27, 2024, prior to the mass protests in Georgia).

- How unexpected was Georgia’s foreign policy reorientation for you? What could be its consequences for the South Caucasus?

- Throughout history, the West has always been a reference point for Georgia. We consider ourselves a European nation. Even the Menshevik government of Georgia in 1918-1921 had a pro-Western orientation. The then President of Georgia Zhordania used to say: “I prefer Western imperialists to Eastern fanatics.”

Shevardnadze had a Western orientation. Yes, after losing the war in Abkhazia he was forced to turn towards Russia, but a few years later, he openly said that our goal was NATO and the European Union. I am not even mentioning Saakashvili, who was extremely pro-Western.

After the Georgian Dream won the elections in 2012, their slogan was the same - European integration. Although I was an opponent of the Georgian Dream, I saw that they had pro-Western positions.

The situation has changed after the Russian-Ukrainian war and the fact that Georgia has changed its course is now a fact beyond doubt.  

Azerbaijan has an autocratic regime, and of course, Aliyev knows that such a state has no European prospects. As for Armenia, I follow the changes there with great interest. In my opinion, Armenia is already a pro-European state and not pro-Russian. I do not exclude that Armenia will become a member of the European Union sooner than Georgia, as we do not know when we will have a government that will return to a pro-Western orientation.

- Can different foreign policy priorities negatively affect bilateral relations between Armenia and Georgia?

- Armenia cannot develop without Georgia, just as Georgia cannot develop without Armenia. Hovhannes Tumanyan said that a Georgian who does not understand Armenia’s role in the history of Georgia is an enemy of his people, just as an Armenian who does not understand Georgia’s role in the history of Armenia.

There are many people who want tense relations between Georgia and Armenia. However, politics is one thing, and the relationships between peoples are another. Mixed marriages between Georgians and Azerbaijanis are quite rare, but there are many between Georgians and Armenians. I am from Kakheti region, and it is almost impossible to find a family there without Armenian relatives. My grandmother’s sister was married to an Armenian, my father’s cousins were Armenians.

Zurab Davitashvili

 

I believe that bilateral ties will develop even if Georgia’s and Armenia’s foreign policy orientations differ. Of course, it would be much better for both countries to move along a common European course.

- Turkey is an important partner for Georgia. In Armenia, there are opinions that this could threaten Georgian identity.

- Georgia will never become pro-Turkish. This is out of the question. Yes, Turkey is one of Georgia’s key economic partners, yes, Turkish TV series have become very popular among us, but there is no question of possible loss of Georgian identity. Unfortunately, our current government believes that European integration can lead to the loss of Georgian identity.

Ara Tadevosyan spoke with Zurab Davitashvili