Joseph Tsintsadze: NATO won’t welcome Georgia, until Russia agrees to it

Interview by Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

Georgia is shocked by the tragedy in the Afghan province of Gilmend where seven Georgian soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack. Thus, the number of losses of Georgia for 4 years of participation in the Afghan operation of NATO reached 29 soldiers and officers. However, the new authorities continue the course of their predecessors and have no plans to reduce the Georgian contingent of 1650 troops. At the same time, Joseph Tsintsadze, the head of the Diplomatic Academy, tells Vestnik Kavkaza that big sacrifices do not guarantee NATO membership.

-          What should the Georgian society learn from the recent developments in Afghanistan, where a small country is represented by disproportionately big military contingent?

-          I would like the tragedy to be an accelerator of a wide public discussion. The society should consider the developments in a wider prospect. The Afghan epic is the only issue on which President Saakashvili and Premier Ivanishvili agree with each other. At the same time, the theme of Georgia’s participation in the Afghan operation of NATO is taboo in the country.

I remember how during the war in Vietnam after big losses, American senators, social activists, and journalists went to Vietnam and investigated certain reasons of losses, mistakes by the military leadership, and punished those who were guilty. We got used to the cliché of our Ministry of Defense after every tragedy: “An investigation is undergoing.” But nobody can say why it has happened, under what conditions, and why there have been victims.

-          Are these losses adequate to the political expectations of Georgia?

-          Let’s consider the answer by the West, from the point of view of providing security of our country in the current conditions. We hear condolence and promises to welcome Georgia in NATO someday. But these words and empty promises won’t raise our soldiers from the dead. Everything came to the end for their relatives. It is time for a professional, sober discussion – what will Georgia get from the West for these victims?

American and European experts tell us directly: “Your hopes for joining NATO or at least getting a road map due to your active participation in Afghanistan are in vain.” They ask us not to build illusions, but we are glad to live in illusions.

Returning to the war in Vietnam: the American mass media regularly published lists of sons of well-known people, including representatives of the authorities, who fought there. What VIP persons have sent their sons to Afghanistan? I am sure there is nobody of relatives of former and current leaders of the country. Our politicians often fly to New York, Brussels, London, Paris, Strasburg, but not to Kandagar or Gilmend where common people spill blood.

It is time for a referendum or a public-opinion poll on further participation in the Afghan operation. In 2014 Americans will withdraw from there, but our authorities say that we have to stay. In the past 400 years, thousands of Georgians have died in Afghanistan. Is not it enough for us? NATO won’t welcome us, until Russia agrees to it. This means never in the near future.

-          But the Secretary General of NATO has many times stated that Russia cannot veto the alliance’s decision on new members, including Georgia…

-          Rasmussen can say what he wants, but the fact is that Russia, its president Putin in 2008 at the Bucharest summit vetoed giving a road map to Georgia. Almost nothing has changed after Bucharest. Western leaders do not mention Georgia at meetings with the Russian leadership. Why do our guys die in Afghanistan? One should know the history of the country – nobody has ever won there or settled a problem by military force – neither the Persian shahs nor Britain nor the Soviet Army.