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The New Government’s New Russia Policy: why Georgia is not lost?

October 30, 2012 - Example Author - New Eastern Europe newsletter

On October 1st Georgian Dream, a coalition of multiple oppositional parties unified under the billionaire politician Bidzina Ivanishvili, captured a strong majority in the parliamentary election. This opened up a discussion on the possible future of Georgian-Russian relations, which entered a long-lasting stand-off in August 2008 when the two neighbouring countries went to war. Anticipating Georgian withdrawal from its western ambitions and its gradual move under Russia’s sphere of influence is largely exaggerated; there are numerous reasons why a radical change in Russian-Georgian relations cannot and should not be expected with the new government in power.

Tornike Zurabashvili, an independent researcher based in Tbilisi, discusses.

To read the full article visit: https://www.neweasterneurope.eu/node/499

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