The most important event of 2011 and three recent years of Russian-Georgian relations was a compromise on the Russian accession to the WTO. For the first time since 2008 Moscow and Tbilisi were managed to agree on something and even signed an important document marking this compromise.
Of course, Russia could access to the WTO without Georgia’s agreement. According to the WTO Charter a new member can access the organization by simple majority of votes rather than consensus. In this case Georgia would be an exception. However, Russia itself would be an exception as well, as no state has joined the organization without complete agreement of its members. Moscow didn’t want to be such exception, as it would damage the image of the country.
All these years Tbilisi was under great diplomatic pressure by the West. Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and President of the US Baraсk Obama were most active. Mikhail Saakashvili tried to prove that agreement of Georgia to Russian accession will mean indirect acceptance of the reality, which was formed after August 2008. “It is so. We do not recognize independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as well,” the Western leaders told Georgian President, “But it is your problem, while we want big Russia to be a full member of the international trade system.”
If Tbilisi continued to oppose, West would shift from diplomatic measures to direct sanctions. On the other hand, Saakashvili couldn’t agree with the Russian ultimatum (“sign it without any demands”) even under a threat of losing any support of the US and Europe. Thus, the compromise proposed by Switzerland was immediately demanded by both sides. The Swiss understood that the main point in the issue is necessity of “saving face” for Moscow and Tbilisi. As a result, Russian and Georgian politicians gained a document, which enabled them declaring the compromise to be their diplomatic triumph.
Both the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia and the Georgian authorities persuade their citizens that it was another side that yielded, while they stayed at the same positions. It is interesting that both sides are right, if we read the final protocol carefully.
According to the compromise, two trade corridors will be established between Russia and Georgia for providing trade. First (across Abkhazia’s territory) begins near Adler and ends near the Georgian town Zugdidi. Second (across South Ossetia) begins at the northern portal of the Rok Tunnel and ends near Gori, in the center of Georgia.
The arguments of Moscow and Tbilisi enable understanding the agreement in favor of each side:
Moscow: We recognized independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but as Georgia hasn’t followed our example yet, we agreed to establish trade corridors through these two states for exercising trade with Tbilisi. Georgia signed the document, which says that the international observers will be present not only in the Russian territory near Adler and Rok, but also in the Georgian territory near Gori and Zugdidi. Thus, Georgia accepted indirectly that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not its parts.
Tbilisi: We recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as territories occupied by Russia. However, our Western friends asked us to agree with the idea of trade corridors through the occupied territories. Russia signed the Russian-Georgian agreement on presence of international observers in the Abkhazian and South-Ossetian parts of the border without participation in negotiations representatives of Sukhumi and Tskhinvali. Thus, Russia accepts indirectly that it concerns Abkhazian and South-Ossetian parts of the Russian-Georgian border.
Then disputes begin:
- Why did Abkhazia and South Ossetia not participate in the negotiations?
- Who have told you they didn’t? We informed them about everything all the time.
- Informing is one thing, but the document was signed by Russia and Georgia only.
- It is because Georgia hasn’t recognized their independence yet.
- No, it is because absolute majority of the WTO members consider these territories as parts of Georgia, and Russia agreed with it.
Both sides are right. The achieved compromise gives favorable opportunity for twofold reading. Without such opportunity there will be no compromise itself.
However, geopolitical reality shows that the two states are not equal – small Georgia and great Russia. That is why after accession to the WTO Russia can dally off the document and doesn’t give visas to international observers at its border.
Of course, Georgia will accuse Russia of violation the agreement, and that’s all. Tbilisi is satisfied with the fact that despite its limited political and international resources the Georgian diplomats were managed to benefit maximum from the WTO membership.
Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to VK
