In 2019, Georgia was hit by a large-scale cyberattack. Targets included Georgian government websites and the state television broadcaster, and more than 2,000 websites were attacked. The Russian Foreign Ministry, which came under suspicion over the incident, has denied any involvement, but the Georgian government, as well as the British and U.S. governments, claim it was carried out by Russia.
Relations between Russia and Georgia have remained unstable since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Georgia is also heavily influenced by the politics of its neighbors and broader global developments. Located at the boundary between Europe and Asia, Georgia has for many years endured invasions and occupations by surrounding powers such as Persia, Turkey, and Russia on its way to becoming the state it is today. This article takes a look at Georgia with a focus on its international relations to date.
Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia (Photo: Bas van den Heuvel/Shutterstock.com)
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Relations with Russia and the problems that come with them
Let’s first look back at Georgia’s history since the modern era. Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire in the first half of the 19th century and declared independence in 1918 amid the Russian Revolution. It was then absorbed into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1921. In 1956, popular protests against Soviet policies broke out but were suppressed by the military. In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia regained its independence. This is how Georgia took on its present form.
There are various conflicts of interest between Georgia and Russia, one of which is the territorial issue. Within Georgia are South Ossetia and Abkhazia, regions beyond the control of the central Georgian government. Although recognized by very few internationally, they declared independence with strong backing from Russia. While each currently has its own de facto government, they bear the strong hallmarks of Russian occupied territories.
Historically, the region known as South Ossetia is said to have coalesced as a distinct area by the 18th century. In 1992, the South Ossetian Autonomous Region was clearly established within Georgia, then a constituent republic of the USSR. While North Ossetia, on the far side of the Caucasus Mountains, belongs to Russia, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin is said to have used South Ossetia—home to many Ossetians—for divide-and-rule. In the 1980s, on the eve of the Soviet collapse, ethnic movements grew across Georgia, and resistance to Georgianization intensified in South Ossetia. In 1989, calls for autonomy spread within South Ossetia, and anti-government forces clashed militarily with Georgia. In 1992, South Ossetia declared independence.
Similar turmoil unfolded in Abkhazia. In 1992, after Georgia re-emerged as a state following the Soviet collapse, it adopted the constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia from before incorporation into the USSR, reducing Abkhazia’s rights and autonomy. Abkhazia pushed back, and armed clashes with Georgia ensued that same year. Volunteers from southern Russia, the North Caucasus, and among Cossacks came to assist. The Russian government at the time declared its support for Georgia’s territorial integrity while also shoring up the anti-government forces. The following year, Abkhaz forces seeking independence from Georgia expelled Georgian troops from Abkhazia.
The Abkhazian parliament building burned in the 1992–1993 conflict (Photo: hélène veilleux/Flickr [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ])
Further, in 1993, Georgia joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an agreement comprising many former Soviet states centered on Russia. Georgia then agreed to the deployment of Russian CIS peacekeepers to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Since then, the Russian government has provided direct support to those anti-government forces, such as public sector salaries and infrastructure development.
Afterward, politics remained in a state of stalemate, but in 2004 Mikheil Saakashvili was elected president in Georgia and vowed to regain control of the territories. In 2006, South Ossetia held a vote on independence from Georgia, and 99% of residents supported independence. The biggest shift came in 2008, when, under orders from President Saakashvili, Georgia attacked South Ossetia. However, Georgia’s reckless attack was swiftly repelled by Russian military intervention in support of South Ossetia. To make matters worse, Abkhazia, which cooperates closely with South Ossetia, also attacked Georgia. Following these events, Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The conflict ended up further accelerating the separation of both regions from Georgia.
Russia continues to provide support in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and has issued Russian passports to residents in both regions. At present, Russia is illegally erecting barbed wire and fences along the boundary with Georgia in both regions in a bid at “borderization.” Russia claims to be drawing administrative boundary lines in accordance with Soviet-era borders, while Georgia refuses to participate in demarcation meetings, as doing so would amount to de facto recognition of independence. Restrictions on freedom of movement are a major problem for residents living near the administrative boundary line. In recent years, residents on the Georgian-controlled side near the line have been subjected to arbitrary arrest, persecution, and killing by the authorities in South Ossetia and Abkhazia and by Russian security forces. According to Georgia, as many as 840 Georgians have been detained for allegedly crossing the boundary illegally.
A farmer, cut off from life in Georgia, looks toward his home from South Ossetia (Photo: Jelger/Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0 ])
International relations in the South Caucasus
It is clear that Georgia is greatly affected by its relationship with Russia, but what about its relations with other countries? Let’s look at Armenia and Azerbaijan, the two other countries that make up the South Caucasus with Georgia.
The Caucasus refers to the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The Caucasus is divided into the North Caucasus and the South Caucasus by the Caucasus Mountains. The North Caucasus consists of the republics of the Russian Federation, such as the Chechen Republic, while the South Caucasus consists of three countries: Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The 3 South Caucasus countries discussed here formerly belonged to the Soviet Union, but after its collapse each achieved independence. However, Russia’s influence over these 3 countries remains significant, and each continues to search for its foreign policy path. Armenia and Azerbaijan, like Georgia, also face a territorial dispute—repeated clashes over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. For details, please refer to a past GNV article.
Armenia has participated in the Russia-centered regional economic bloc, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), since 2015. Trade in oil and other goods between Russia and Armenia is growing. While Armenia aims for a multi-vector diplomacy—building relations in many directions as a country at the boundary of Europe and Asia—it still remains highly dependent on Russia. Azerbaijan, for its part, has close ties with Turkey. It is not a member of the EAEU, and while maintaining connections with the European Union (EU) and the United States, it also maintains relations with Russia. However, it often draws criticism from Western countries over human rights issues due to authoritarian tendencies. Azerbaijan is also endowed with natural gas and oil, which have provided stable revenues.
Now to Georgia’s relations with both countries. Overall, ties are good, but the shadow of the great power, Russia, is sometimes visible behind them. First, Georgia and Armenia. As a landlocked country, about 75% of Armenia’s seaborne cargo transits through Georgia, and because conflict could endanger the gas pipeline from Russia, Armenia is sensitive to confrontations between Georgia and Russia. Georgia, for its part, fears Russia’s diplomatic pressure and military presence in Armenia. Both countries have experienced many difficulties up to the present day, including outbreaks of violence, mass protests, early presidential resignations, and conflicts. Public attention focuses on security, cultural heritage, and ethnic issues, and both governments strive to avoid delicate confrontations.
In 2016, then–Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili visits Armenia (Photo: Georgian Government/Flickr [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0])
Next, Georgia’s relations with Azerbaijan. The two countries have maintained a strategic partnership for 30 years. However, there is tension over the ownership of the David Gareji monastery, a religious heritage site for both sides. In addition, relations between these 2 countries are influenced by the great power Russia and by Western countries. Russia may deliberately, and Western countries inadvertently, weaken the bilateral relationship. In 2013, The EU selected Armenia, Moldova, and Georgia as “countries that have made efforts toward democratic transition.” While this may have been intended as a kind of reward for democratic states, in practice it risked alienating other countries, such as Azerbaijan. The United States and the EU have made efforts, including taking a leading role in the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline project, the world’s second-longest by route length.
Other international relations in the region
So far we have focused on the South Caucasus, but there is another important neighbor for Georgia: Turkey. As a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with strong ties to the EU, Turkey is indispensable for Georgia, which seeks to build relations with the West. However, Georgia has been unsettled by the recent warming of relations between Turkey and Russia. Turkey has in recent years purchased missiles from Russia and has begun work on pipeline projects bringing oil from Russia to Turkey and Southern Europe. For Georgia, which is at odds with the great power Russia, friendly ties between Russia and Turkey are inconvenient. That said, since 2020 relations between Turkey and Russia have cooled over Syria’s Idlib province—a development that may have been welcome news for Georgia.
Iran’s international relations also warrant close attention from Georgia. Georgia is known for its close ties with the United States, and it can be greatly affected by the U.S. diplomatic stance. In January 2020, after the United States killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, how might the current U.S.–Iran confrontation affect Georgia? It will certainly have a significant impact on the Middle East, but Georgia welcomes many tourists from Iran, so even without a military clash, friction could lead to a decline in tourist numbers. Russia, of course, remains Georgia’s foremost concern. There is concern that Russia could use this incident to fuel global anti-American sentiment and find a pretext to strengthen its military presence in the Caucasus. However, there is also an opinion that, because the situation could alter the balance of power in the Middle East, it is not necessarily good for Russia either. In any case, Georgia will need to carefully monitor the U.S.–Iran relationship.
A meeting between Georgia and Iran (Photo: Georgian Government/Flickr [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0])
On NATO membership
As we have seen, joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has long been a goal for Georgia, which seeks to strengthen ties with the West without relying on Russia. According to the National Democratic Institute (NDI), a public survey in January 2019 found that 78% of Georgians support joining NATO. This is the highest figure since 81% in 2013. Georgia has actively demonstrated its desire to join by contributing to NATO activities, including deploying troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2008, NATO agreed that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually be welcomed into the alliance. In 2019, NATO made a similar declaration, yet a clear roadmap for membership is still lacking. In reality, the NATO side appears reluctant due to Georgia’s territorial issues and fear of Russian intervention, which seems to be the reason.
A NATO–Georgia commission meeting (Photo: Georgian Government/Flickr [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0])
In this way, Georgia is easily affected by surrounding countries, including Russia, and by changes in the situation in the Middle East. With constant vigilance, how will it navigate the future, and how close will it be able to draw to the West?
Writer: Shiori Tomohara
Graphics: Saki takeuchi
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