The National Interest Magazine Focuses on Georgia

The National Interest (TNI), an American bimonthly international affairs magazine published by the Center for the National Interest, has dedicated an article to Georgia, after the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, met with the Georgian Prime Minister, Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Washington this week.

The TNI reads that Georgia represents a key test on the possibilities of reform in the former Soviet space, adding that at the meeting with the PM, Pompeo stated President Trump “stands by the 2008 Bucharest declaration,” which affirms that Georgia “will become a member of NATO.”

“Pompeo’s remarks underline the quarter-century of strong US support for independent Georgia, which this month is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first Georgian Republic. A democracy, it embraced a liberal constitution and sought a European future but survived only a few years before being invaded and annexed by the USSR,” the article reads.

The authors of the article underline that after separatist conflicts, corruption, extreme poverty and threats from Russia, Georgia has overcome many of these challenges and now stands as a “striking example of a reforming and Western-oriented country transcending the limitations of decades of Soviet rule.”

However, the article reads that Georgia could do more on its own to achieve its European and Euro-Atlantic ambitions.

“Overcoming political and economic vestiges of the former Soviet system—one-party dominance; weak institutions; outsized importance of individual leaders who attain their influence based on charisma, populism, or wealth—requires sustained effort,” the authors note.

The article also mentions that visa-free travel to many EU countries, and other benefits from the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, offer a wider window into Europe and encourage Georgians to persist on a westward course.

It also says that the country's Western military training and equipment, and combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, have bolstered Georgia’s defense capacity. According to the authors, Georgia’s substantial force contribution to the NATO mission in Afghanistan demonstrates its dedication to the purposes of the Alliance.

“Georgia represents a key test of whether it is still possible to reform countries in the former Soviet space to become integral parts of the Euro-Atlantic community,” the TNI reports.

By Thea Morrison

Source: The National Interest

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