Georgia after the Vilnius summit

Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

When the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton and the Foreign Minister of Georgia, Maya Pandzhikidze, initialed the association agreement between the former Soviet republic and the European Union, Shalakho, a dancing tune which used to be popular among Tbilisi young people, began to be played. A pianist was mixing the tune with as well very popular song in the past – Suliko.

The reaction of Georgia to the background music of the long-awaited event is interesting. The majority of commentators were furious about the choice of the organization party. “Couldn’t the Lithuanians find something better, for example, from Georgy Kancheli’s works?” a blogger boiled over. But the Lithuanian side chose the brands for the background music, which are connected with Georgia in their minds, since the Soviet Union times. However, in modern Georgia nobody dances Shalakho or sings Suliko.

The diplomatic incident which sparked heavy criticism of Georgian diplomats for non-professionalism became a precise illustration of the whole event which took place in Vilnius where Georgia “had finally stepped into a path of integration to the European Union.” However, Georgian experts and politicians are sure that there are some doubts and until September 2014, when Tbilisi plans to sign the agreement with the EU, the country will face serious challenges.

One of leaders of the former ruling party the United National Movement, David Darchiashvili, told Vestnik Kavkaza that “we should have no illusions that today Russia doesn’t pressure Georgia. When the agreement with the EU was initialed, Ukraine wasn’t under pressure either. Russia will begin to act closer to signing the agreement, and its main leverage is ambivalent, opportunist forces which exist in our country. They are hiding now because Moscow doesn’t order them to act. The Russian authorities don’t want to put the new Georgian government into a difficult situation, as Moscow likes it. But opportunists will come on the stage, when they get an order.”

The principal of the Diplomatic Academy, Iosif Tsintsadze, predicts difficulties as well. “If we ask what initialing of the document gives Georgia from the security point of view, the answer will be – nothing! Absolutely nothing! The act can spoil settlement of the problems in relations with Russia. Why does the government sign it? According to them, it is the first step toward a right direction – toward integration with Europe,” he told Vestnik Kavkaza.