Olympic signals from Georgia's Ivanishvili

Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

The Georgian premier-to-be, Bidzina Ivanishvili, stated at the last press conference that Georgia would definitely participate in the Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi: “We will not only take part in these Games, but also do our best for promotion of our achievements.”

The question of a journalist about it was not accidental. It is confirmed by comments of other leaders of Georgian Dream: the former deputy minister on settlement of conflicts Georgy Volsky said that sport “the thaw of politics.” The state minister on European integration Alexi Petriashvili thinks that “participation of Georgia in the Olympics will contribute to improvement of peace and settlement of conflicts.”

The former authorities have many times stated that the Georgian team wouldn’t go to Sochi. They explained it by using inert aggregate from Abkhazia (which Georgia considers as its own territory) for construction of Olympic facilities and by “genocide of Circassians.” However, the true reason for “boycott” was the defeat in the war of 2008 and desire to demonstrate uncompromising attitude to the “occupant-country”, as the leaders of the former ruling party called Russia.

There are no doubts that the strategy of boycotting the Sochi Olympics was initiated by president Saakashvili who has been interested in sport for years and considered it one of priorities of his activity. Saakshvili put the sporting authorities of the country into a difficult situation by rejection of going to Sochi. Any boycott of international sporting events, especially the Olympic Games, is thought to be bad manners and is criticized in the international arena. In the end of Cold War the International Olympic Committee declared that the boycotting page was turned in the history of sport forever. And if small Georgia tried to slam the Olympic door, it would face a strict reaction by the IOC, including disqualification in the next Games. The country made up a cunny move: do not boycott the Sochi Olympics officially, but don’t participate in initial qualifications in all kinds of sport. Thus, it might happen that the country would have no athletes who gained tickets to the Games. Moreover, Georgia has never been famous for successful winter sport athletes.

Nevertheless, these schemes were crossed by Bidzina Ivanishvili: no boycott – the Georgian flag will be raised in Sochi and its small delegation will march the Olympic stadium.

Ivanishvili’s statement caused heavy criticism not only by pro-presidential activists, but also independent experts and social activists who still think by categories of senseless demarches. Moreover, the prime minister purposely made this step, despite the risk of being heavily criticized.

In cat it was a clear signal to Moscow. Ivanishvili indirectly tells Russian colleagues: “We are not ready to restore diplomatic relations and won’t change the course of our foreign policy, but the factor of cheapish revenge and emotional confrontation will be eliminated from our policy.” This idea is even more significant than its practical meaning. This small from the first sight step might appear to be the beginning of a long way of normalization of relations between Russia and Georgia.