According to data from 2020, about 225,000 people live in the territory of Abkhazia. Of these, 47,000 are ethnic Georgians and most of them, about 45,000, live in the Gali region. Yet, as of today, no Georgian-language school is functioning in occupied Abkhazia.

Since the beginning of the past school year, teaching in Georgian in Georgian-language schools in Gali (in occupied Abkhazia) has been stopped, and education will now be conducted in Russian. Seventeen-year-old Natia K. is an 11th grade student of one of the schools in the low-lying area of Gali. Since September 1st, she has been taught Georgian as a foreign language at school.

The war in Abkhazia began in August 1992 and lasted for 13 months. By the end of the war, Georgia had 300,000 internally displaced people. Today, Abkhazia is recognized as occupied and the Russian occupation army is stationed there. The people living on both sides of the de facto dividing line are friends and relatives, but now they cannot meet or rarely manage to see each other, as Eliso Shamatava explains through her experiences.

“Eighty-five families live in the village of Khurcha. At least one person from almost each household has emigrated. My son is also gone. He took a gap year at the university and left to work in Poland. We, women living along the dividing line, work. But when we want to sell produce at the Zugdidi market, we are not allowed to take it with us on the municipal bus. We have to hire a taxi. This is how we live here,” says 52-year-old Eliso Shamatava from Khurcha in Georgia, who tells us about the specifics of living along the administrative boundary line.

An interview with Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of NATO. Interviewer: Vazha Tavberidze.

An interview with retired Ambassador Richard Miles, former US ambassador to Georgia. Interviewer: Vazha Tavberidze

VAZHA TAVBERIDZE: Let’s begin with the Rose Revolution as you remember it. From your perspective, what exactly transpired 20 years ago?

RICHARD MILES: Well, it was a very interesting display of – I guess you have to say democracy – because what happened was what the majority of the population wanted. I wouldn't say that it was entirely legal, but I do not think it was exactly illegal either. In fact, the country adapted to the revolutionary changes and the opposition leaders fairly easily. I should point out almost from the start that not all of the opposition leaders were supporting the demonstrations and therefore the Rose Revolution.

It looks likely that Georgia will make a choice between East or West next year. While the government continues to favour stronger links with Russia, the Georgian people still show great support for European integration. The upcoming parliamentary elections will therefore prove pivotal.

Georgia has maintained a policy of neutrality for many years when it comes to the Karabakh conflict. Having acted as a mediator on certain occasions in the past, Tbilisi could now host talks that provide a proper solution to its neighbours’ ongoing dispute.

The latest shift in Georgia's foreign policy, marked by the signing of a strategic agreement with China, raises further concerns about the country’s trajectory towards the European Union and NATO. By engaging more with China, Tbilisi is also helping Russia fulfil its aim to decouple Georgia from the West.

In July 2023, the relationship between Georgia and China grabbed the spotlight of global attention – the two countries decided to elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership and signed a subsequent agreement. Although deepening relations between sovereign states is not out of the ordinary in foreign affairs, critical questions about this particular event are looming over the horizon.

Despite its claims to be willing to implement all the necessary reforms for EU candidacy, the Georgian government’s measures have been slow. Substantial progress has been missing in the areas where strong political will is required. While Georgia is awaiting the European Commission’s recommendation on granting it EU candidate status, much work is yet to be done.

More than a year has passed since Georgia submitted its application to obtain EU candidate status. The announcement followed a similar move by Ukraine in the wake of the Russian aggression, which led to a historic opportunity for other countries which aspired to obtain EU membership. Soon, Moldova demonstrated its interest in applying for candidacy as well.

The past year has seen the Georgian Dream administration engage in a variety of questionable actions. Ranging from laws on “foreign agents” to spreading conspiracy theories, it appears that these moves are designed to question the country’s pro-western orientation. Georgia’s citizens must now use the ballot box to challenge this record of mismanagement.

Georgia is once again faced with a pivotal moment in its history. Much like the collapse of Moscow’s power in 1917 and 1991, today’s war in Ukraine is providing Tbilisi with room to pursue a pro-western course. However, a form of government backed by the Kremlin could stand in the way of real change for a third time.

As Georgia is racing against the clock to fulfil the European Union’s 12 recommendations to secure candidacy status by December, President Salome Zourabichvili embarked on an international tour to promote Georgia’s European aspirations and gain support from international partners. This decision has been met with an unexpected response from the Georgian government.

The war in Ukraine has caused millions of people from the country to flee to various states in Europe. Despite this, there are also many Russians who have attempted to leave their own country following the full-scale invasion. This phenomenon has been met with different responses in various states near Russia.