Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
In Georgia a big row has broken out after statements by the foreign minister Maya Pandzhikidze about the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Representatives of the pro-presidential party the United National Movement (UNM) accused one of the most experienced diplomats in the country of unprofessional conduct. Saakashvili’s team hinted that the head of the Foreign Ministry was incompetent, as well as the prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who appointed his press secretary (it was Pandzhikidze before the October parliamentary elections) to the position of foreign minister, i.e. entrusted her with such a complicated and delicate sphere.
In Lithuania Maya Pandzhikidze participated in a discussion organized by the European group of the Lithuanian parliament. Along with MPs, journalists, representatives of diplomatic groups, experts and students of local universities participated in it. The situation in the Caucasus region was discussed. The Karabakh conflict was focused on. The Azerbaijani ambassador in Lithuania asked the Georgian foreign minister how the new authorities view the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The question was absolutely logical, considering Ivanishvili’s initiative on using the railway line between Russia and the South Caucasus, which passes through Abkhazia and Georgia, and on the premier’s statements in Yerevan that he envies Armenia, which has managed to build positive relations with the West and maintain relations with Russia.
“We support the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. I don’t think this need be repeated. Our position cannot be challenged. However, we are not involved in disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” Pandzhikidze told the Azerbaijani diplomat. Later, the ambassador of Armenia to Lithuania took the floor and asked the minister to make Tbilisi’s position clear, considering the situation around Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “All conflicts are unique due to their grounds and historic circumstances. Therefore, they have various ways of being settled,” Pandzhikidze said. “Georgian Dream wants no conflicts in the region.”
Her words were interpreted as support ofor a settlement of the Karabakh problem only on the grounds of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity principle. What alternative answer could there be from a foreign minister of a state which has its own problems with separated territories? But MPs from the UNM accused Pandzhikidze of “causing a hurricane of indignation in Armenia” and “ruining the balance which Georgian diplomacy has always managed to maintain.” However, there was no “hurricane” in Yerevan (in Baku either), the Georgian minister didn’t say anything new or extraordinary, she voiced the position of official Tbilisi in last 20 years. Probably her English was not so good, as she has been working in Germany for many years and speaks German much better.
The former foreign minister of Georgia (1995-2004), Irakly Menagarishvili told Vestnik Kavkaza why Pandzhanikidze’s statement caused such a reaction in the political class of Georgia.
- Maya Pandzhanikidze’s speech on the Karabakh problem caused an especially sharp reaction in Georgia. Why do you think this was?
- To tell the truth, I am confused. I studied all the messages and realized that nothing definite was said in the minister’s statements. Answering a question as to whether Georgia supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan or not, Maya Pandzhikidze says that it supports it. She emphasized this thesis several times. This phrase in a transformed variant was presented to Georgian society as the main component and the key idea of her speech. Probably it was the reason for idle chatter. But a row broke out only in Georgia, no exaggeration was seen either in Yerevan or Baku. We have a complicated situation in the country: we live within a struggle between President and Premier. They do their best to accuse each other of anything.
- You have been the foreign minister for a long time. How was the position of Georgia on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict formed?
- From the very beginning of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Georgia found itself in a delicate situation. We had balanced relations with both countries, but the main thing is that in our country thousands of Armenians and Azerbaijanis live. Our priority has always been prevention of escalation of the conflict to the territory of Georgia. In 1988 huge columns of refugees passed through the territory of Georgia. That time Georgia managed to cope with the crisis. We have always done our best for being independent. Our position was that we are not mediators in the conflict. There are many international mediators. The fact that there is no progress means only that the mediation mechanisms are not effective.
- What do you think of Maya Pandzhanikidze?
- I don’t know her well. She became a diplomat earlier than I did. Initially she worked in Germany. One of our first embassies was there. We cooperated with her intensively. When I resigned in 2004 we maintained good colleague and human relations: she is an experienced and smart diplomat. If all employees of the foreign ministry help her to achieve one common goal, our country will have no problems.
