Abkhazia Institute for Social and Economic Research

Davit Batashvili
New York, USA
Fourteen years have passed since the fall of Sokhumi. On September 27, 1993, Georgia was finally and decisively deprived of its territorial integrity and dragged down to a position of a failed state. Disorientated by the Soviet legacy, Georgian society was unable at that time to counter anything to the Russian projects of the country’s disintegration.

Today Georgia struggles to establish free and democratic society. The will of the Georgian people to establish democracy was demonstrated during the so called Revolution of Roses in November 2003. That month Georgian citizens, angered by the rigged parliamentary election, went out to the streets and made corrupted authoritarian government to resign after almost three weeks of massive protest rallies. Since then, the country has seen the first unrigged elections in its post-Soviet history. Corruption declined dramatically, while the state institutions started to function more or less effectively. However, the Georgian state is still unable to finally get rid of the label “failed”, since it does not control parts of its territory, dominated by the local Soviet-style ruling clans, supported by Russia. These regions, namely Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain uncovered by the state control, while Georgian citizens are most often unable to even visit these regions, especially Abkhazia.
    Since 2003 Georgia has seen a very significant economical progress, which cannot be said about the so called insurgent regions. Thus, Georgia could find ways to reconciliate the population of these regions, and gradually reintegrate them. However, this would counter the regional strategy of Russia, which actually controls the ruling groups of the Georgian insurgent regions. There are different opinions about Russia’s motivation. Whatever it is, the facts prove that Russia is unwilling to let Georgia become a stable democracy. Kremlin supports the criminalized ruling groups in the insurgent regions of Georgia. It also constantly tries to “hire” some of the Georgian political parties, hoping that such Russian-funded political forces will be able to challenge the current Georgian government. Russian planes drop bombes and rockets on the Georgian territory at least once in a several of months. As of September 2007, economic embargo is imposed on Georgia by Russia, while border between the two countries is closed and all kinds of transportation are cut (including direct air flights).
    Struggling with extremely severe Russian pressure, Georgia receives very limited support from the international community, and absolutely no support from the major international organizations. On March 11, 2007 Russian helicopters bombed Georgian-controlled Kodori gorge in Abkhazia. On August 6, 2007 Russian plane dropped rocket near the Georgian-controlled village of Tsitelubani in South Ossetia. In both cases, Georgia demanded from UN and OSCE to investigate the incidents. In both cases, these organizations, while saying that the helicopters and the plane entered Georgia “from the north”, refused to name the responsible country directly. Nor did Georgia receive any support from the major international organizations in connection with the Russian-imposed embargo, Russian support for the insurgents in Georgia, and other hostile activities. The reasons may be unwillingness to oppose Russia and simple indifference. This situation demonstrates, how far is activity of these organizations from the ideals, on which and for which these organizations were created.
    The lesson that Georgia has to learn from the activity (or the lack of activity) of the international organizations, is that it has to rely on its own efforts in the first place. In fact, Georgia receives political and military support from the US, but it is not clear, how far this support will go, especially in the case of serious conflict with Russia. Besides, it is not a fact that the American support for Georgia will never fade. Change in the American foreign policy, crisis in the Middle East which would absorb American attention and resources, or simple unwillingness to risk serious conflict with Russia can lessen or stop the US support for Georgia. Such a possibility may be unlikely, but it is not impossible. In such case Russia would most probably become even more aggressive in countering Georgian effort to create an effective democratic state.
    Despite the very serious risks that Georgia encounters as a result of Russian activities and pressure, there is no other option for this country, other than doing best to re-establish control over all of its territory. Failing to do so is same as remaining a failed state. Insurgent regions, which are located along the parts of Georgian border, have become sources of smuggling and drug trafficking. Those territories are controlled by criminal groups instead of Georgian state. People from the rest of Georgia are restricted to enter these regions by such groups. This situation is not an option, if Georgia is to become a fully sovereign, established, and democratic state. Thus, Georgia has to work on re-establishing of its sovereignty in all parts of its territory, even if it means risking serious conflict with Russia.