Georgia’s ruling party official: country’s future not determined by someone else’s political agenda but solely by national interests of nation

Archil Beridze, the deputy chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Tuesday said the future of the country was not determined by someone else's political agenda but solely by the national interests of the nation.

In his remarks, Beridze noted that recent global developments show that realist state policy is once again strengthening in international relations, meaning countries increasingly act primarily based on their own national interests.

“The fact is that the world order is changing, we all see a crisis in the liberal world order. This order was based on the idea that the West - especially the United States - was the main leader of the global system and the main guarantor of security. However, today there is a redistribution of power in the world system. China and other regional powers are gaining strength in global politics. A number of mistakes in European policy and inconsistent steps by the European bureaucracy have led to a significant weakening of transatlantic relations”, Beridze said.

“America, which has been Europe's main strategic partner for decades, is less and less ready to take on European political problems. In this situation, the disagreements between part of the American and European political elites have become especially obvious - disagreements that are now openly visible in various directions of international politics”, he continued.

Beridze also pointed to the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East as examples of how geopolitical decisions can produce severe consequences, affecting the global economy, energy security, and the balance of power.

“Today, everyone sees the price the Ukrainian state is paying. At the same time, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have further strained the international situation. These processes also affect the global economy, energy security, and the international balance of power. Against the background of all this, realist politics is once again gaining strength in international relations. This means that states act primarily based on their own interests. Military and economic power still remains the main factor of international politics, and in such an environment, small states are obliged to act with special caution, with reasonable calculations, and in accordance with clear state interests”, he noted.

He further added that the main thing in relations with great powers was the balance of leverage, which was one of the main principles of realistic geopolitics.

Beridze noted that the Georgian government had a clear and principled position to defend the country's sovereignty, national interests, and to build a state that would not be anyone’s satellite.

“Georgia has its own strong levers: this is our geopolitical location, our role in transport and energy corridors, and our importance in the New Silk Road project. Georgia can and should become a regional bridge, a center for political, economic, and transport cooperation”, he added.

“And finally, one simple truth: in a world where great powers defend their interests, small states can survive only when they defend their own state. And finally, once again, today the future of our country is not determined by someone else’s political agenda. The future of our homeland is determined solely and exclusively by the national interests of our nation”, Beridze concluded.