Nothing presaged the scandal and sensation before the opening of another regular meeting of ambassadors in Tbilisi. The 'Ambasadorial' is traditionally held every two years to "compare notes" on all diplomatic fronts. Of course, the main topic of discussion at previous meetings, regardless of the names of presidents, prime ministers, and the names of of ruling parties, was the "deepening of Euro-Atlantic integration" and "accelerated movement towards NATO." In other words, "a diplomatic thought" continually struggled over how to successfully use the meager resources of the country to achieve the main goal – leaving Russia's sphere of influence, breaking from the post-Soviet space and being incorporated into the "Atlantic coordinate system", as the architects of Georgia's foreign policy loved to say.
However, this time events developed according to an intriguing scenario: one day before the opening of the "Ambasadorial 2015" 33-year-old prime minister Irakli Garibashvili announced the removal of Minister of Foreign Affairs Tamar Beruchashvili from this position, she was regarded as the main proponent of the "pro-Western course" in the diplomatic corps of the country for the past 20 years, during which she held key positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Instead of this professional diplomat of rather high class, the Prime Minister appointed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, as the head of the diplomatic department.
Without giving journalists and experts an opportunity to hypothetically speculate on this theme, the head of government immediately explained: "Our priority will be to attract investments, create jobs, and conduct economic cooperation with all partners."
A minute later, at the same briefing, the new Foreign Minister was even more explicit: "We are witnessing many interesting processes in Eurasia," Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated, "and now we intend to transform all innovations on the Eurasian continent in the interests of the country, both in the political and the economic key."
The reaction was hysterically violent. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister were accused of "conspiring with the Kremlin" in "an effort to drag Georgia into the Eurasian Union of Vladimir Putin." By itself, the emphasis on "pragmatism" caused rejection in pro-Western forces, including allies of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, because as strange as it seems, they associate "pragmatism" with an attempt to build relations with Russia at the expense of "years-long desire of the Georgian people to join the Euro-Atlantic civilization."
And the Prime Minister should not have explained that "accession to the Eurasian Union is out of the question," as well as "restoration of the Soviet Union with the participation of Georgia," the special envoy for the settlement of relations with the Russian Federation should not have urged the opposition "to take up a school geography textbook to make sure: Eurasia is not only Asia, but also Europe," and Giorgi Kvirikashvili himself pretended that he allegedly did not know what the Eurasian Union is.
Which states are real or potential partners of Georgia in the case of prioritization of economic interests? Of course, it is, first and foremost, the Russian Federation and all the CIS countries, to the markets of which Georgian traditional production is adapted, as well as China – a mighty superpower, which is increasingly developing economic relations in Eurasia.
