Yesterday, in his interview to CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Prime Minister, commented on the events in Ukraine. He related the Euromaidan with the political pressure of Russia and emphasized that Georgia is expecting a provocation from Russia. Pavel Zarifullin, Director of the Lev Gumilev Center, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the European aspirations of Georgia, Armenia and Turkey.
What is the European view on efforts by the new Georgian government to meet democratic standards of the European Union?
The view has been being formed for decades. It didn’t come from nowhere; Georgia is perceived as a freedom-loving, fair state which resists the mammoth from the north, a David against the awful Russian Goliath. Of course, it is idealized in Europeans’ eyes that everything is wonderful there, that the people have accepted true values of freedom and democracy and finally will be an example for all nations of Asia in building a state without corruption and totalitarianism. The views on Georgia are very idealistic. In fact I believe European citizens don’t really know what happens there, how deep the Georgian conscience is, how patriarchal it is, it is a kind of a thing in itself. If Georgians read the principles which they are going to sign in the association with the EU, I think they would never agree to this. At the same time, the policies are too thin. There is an item which says that the rights of sexual minorities should be welcomed in Georgia. Neither Patriarch Ilia II nor patriarchal Georgian families will agree to this. Therefore, we can see another cognitive dissonance here, when there are idealized views of Western society and these views are imposed on a different culture, a different social mentality, and sooner or later it will break up. At the moment nobody demands from Georgians to hold a love parade in Tbilisi, but they will demand it tomorrow, and it will cause a painful reaction in Georgian society and reconsideration of European illusions which have been a disease of the Georgian nation in the last few decades.
How do you think will develop the relations of Armenia with the EU after its decision to join the Customs Union?There will be trade relations, it will all be suggestions that Armenia had better give up on the Eurasian Union, that Europe is better and more interesting for Armenia, Armenian opposition parties will get financed by different foundations, as well as any Armenian organizations that propagandize European identity, European culture, European rights and freedoms. So it certainly is a great challenge for Armenia, but then, they have no alternative, because Europe will never give them any guarantees. The EU can declare they include Armenia in whatever unions, organizations, Eastern partnerships, but Europe can never guarantee security and sovereignty to Armenia. Only Russia, OSCE, the Eurasian Union can do it. And the Armenian authorities and people are perfectly aware of it.
How has the attitude of the EU to Turkey changed after the big corruption scandal in the government?
The relations between Turkey and the EU are another story, they have been singing different songs for 50 years. The main goal of the EU is to work with Turkey and use it for its economic and geopolitical issues, but never include it in the EU. So anything related to a certain demonization of Turkey in the eyes of the European community will be encouraged by European media. They will keep emphasizing and proving that the Turks are corrupt. The Turks are indigestible for Europe, allegedly because they are like this, because corruption blossoms there. And if you say they have reversed values, that in some respect they might be more European than the Czechs or the Hungarians – if we talk about rationality, about economic progress, they will never agree. Here we face again some double standards of European society towards other regions, other cultures. We shouldn’t blame them for it, for we also are like that, because Europe is a different civilization, with its own cultural code, Russia is different and also has its unique cultural code, and Turkey is not like any of us. We - experts, journalists, political researchers - should stop watching the world through all those telescopes, rose-colored spectacles, just realize that all the negative information on Turkey in the European press (including the German press) will have the sole goal of never letting Turkey join the EU.