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Carnegie Europe: Georgia and Russia: Don’t count on Europe
A man speaks at a rebuilt statue of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in the Georgian village of Alvani, on December 21, 2012. The statue went back up today in a sign of the slipping authority of President Mikheil Saakashvili, who had ordered its removal.
Just before the 5th anniversary of the August 2008 war, Georgia and Russia are back in the headlines—with positive news: Georgian wine has reconquered the shelves of Russian supermarkets after a seven year boycott. Undoubtedly, this memorable event has been made possible by a new political leadership in Tbilisi. After winning the parliamentary elections in October 2012, the new Premier Bidzina Ivanishvili declared improving relations with Russia a priority of his foreign policy. Further steps, for instance restoration of direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi and smoothening of the visa regime, are expected with President Saakashvili’s likely departure from the political scene at the end of this year.
