FM says Georgia not seeking “new war” with Russia, but will not refuse NATO, EU membership

In an interview with the Spanish news agency EFE, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said Georgia was not seeking a new war with Russia, but it would not abandon its goal of joining NATO and the European Union.

“War - and we know this from our experience with the war with Russia - brings nothing good”, the Georgian Foreign Minister said.

Botchorishvili also discussed the steps taken by the new United States administration, noting that “we have many common points in domestic and foreign policy with the new US administration”.

“The choice made by Georgia, which distanced us from the West, is now defended by the US, which can not only restore our relations with Washington but also strengthen it”, the Minister continued.

The top Georgian diplomat also reviewed the landscape of international relations, noting that “the era of realism has already arrived in international politics. We are a small country, and we will be pragmatic”.

She stressed that “Georgia's main mission [in the Caucasus region] is to maintain peace”, for which “the country must maneuver correctly and position itself consistently, sending the correct messages to partners”.

“We were a country that tirelessly defended peace, and now the US is talking about peace and a ceasefire in Ukraine”, Botchorishvili noted.

At the same time, she emphasised that the official Tbilisi does not have diplomatic relations with Moscow, which illegally occupies 20 percent of the country's territory.

“In these circumstances, our joint work in international formats is excluded. Russia is the main challenge. Georgia must act with maximum caution to avoid harming its own interests”, she said.

Speaking about NATO integration, the Minister emphasised that “joining NATO remains Georgia’s strategic goal”.

She also recalled the promise made by the Alliance in 2008 to open its doors to Ukraine and Georgia, stating that “this door was never opened”.

As the EFE agency points out, when the US has recently stated that Ukraine has no place in NATO, Georgia “learned a simple lesson”.

“In today’s politics, each country must, first and foremost, focus on its national interests. And the first of these is ensuring its own security”, Botchorishvili stressed.

Regarding tensions with the European Union, the Minister emphasised that the country was ready to “renew dialogue on the basis of mutual respect if the European Union decides to return to the negotiating table”.

“Relations with the European Union are not in the best state [...] We call on the European Union to show firmness on this issue to get out of the deadlock. Georgia is in a strategic waiting period in its relations with the European Union. Tbilisi hopes that the European Union will understand that Georgia is a reliable partner in the region”, the Minister continued.

She also stressed that the Georgian Government continued to implement reforms within the framework of the 2014 Association Agreement, aiming to bring the country “as close as possible to the European Union by 2028”.

Botchorishvili also discussed the laws passed by the Georgian Parliament, noting that “Georgia was one of the first to draw attention to improper foreign funding”.

“This created antagonism with the West, and we were the victims. Now it is becoming clear that we were right”, she concluded.