EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Saakashvili Seeks to Secure Long-Term US Commitment for Georgia's Democratization Process

EURASIA INSIGHT

SAAKASHVILI SEEKS TO SECURE LONG-TERM US COMMITMENT FOR GEORGIA’S DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS
Alex van Oss 2/25/04

It is abundantly clear that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is in the midst of a crucial visit to Washington, has fast developed into a darling of the Bush administration. The question that some prominent US political scientists are already raising, however, is: How long can Saakashvili sustain his star status?

Saakashvili met with US President George W. Bush on February 25. Saakashvili, during a public appearance February 24, said that he would tell the American president that now "is a unique time. Georgians all around the world are energized. This is a window of opportunity in one of the world’s most complex regions." In a photo opportunity with Bush, Saakashvili stated: "Our cooperation is ... not only about security, it’s not only about economy, primarily it’s about our shared values."

The scope of US-Georgian cooperation over the near- and medium-term was hammered out in earlier meetings involving Saakashvili and top administration officials. Saakashvili revealed after a meeting with Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz that the United States would expand a military assistance program with Georgia. "We have received a promise from the Americans that a new program will start in April that will last for five years and will result in the creation of ... an American style brigade [structured] according to American standards � consisting of 5,000 troops," Saakashvili told Georgian television. The US-trained brigade would be deployed in eastern Georgia, he added.

Saakashvili also said that he had received assurances from members of the US Congress that Georgia would obtain upwards of $200 million in aid from the United States in 2004. In addition, Saakashvili sought to encourage the International Monetary Fund to adopt a "more flexible and correct approach" in the organization’s economic cooperation with Georgia, moving away from the "strict recommendations" that it imposed on his predecessor, Eduard Shevardnadze.

Though the United States has given Saakashvili ample reason to be pleased about his Washington visit, the Georgian president is showing no signs of being content. He has repeatedly stated that his task of shedding Georgia’s image as a "failed state" and transforming the country into "the most democratic government in Europe" requires a long-term commitment.

Washington’s attention span is notoriously short, which means the continuation of strong US backing for Saakashvili’s reform drive is far from guaranteed. During Saakashvili’s public appearance at Johns Hopkins University’s School for Advanced International Studies, former US national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski perhaps best summarized the Georgian president’s challenge.

Brzezinski reminded the audience that Shevarnadze, during his tenure as Soviet foreign minister, once "captured the imagination of the United States because he represented the end of Communism and the Cold War." Turning to the new Georgian leader, Brzezinski then said: "Your actions have captured the imagination of Americans in the same way." [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Now however, Brzezinski cautioned: "You must capture America’s enduring and strategic commitment."

Saakashvili himself expressed a sense of urgency to accomplish as much as possible, as quickly as possible. "I got 96.7 percent of the vote," he told the audience at Johns Hopkins, referring to his presidential election victory in January. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. "That’s a big problem for me, because now I can only decline in popularity [in Georgia]. The only question is: how rapidly?"

The Georgian president characterized the new Georgian government, many members of which are US trained, as "a unique compilation of new people, new ideas and new ideals." While acknowledging that strong US backing was an important element of his reform plan, Saakashvili stressed that "the values of freedom and democracy are not established by grants and loans."

Saakashvili explored the major issues confronting his government � relations with Russia, separatism and corruption. In early February, Saakashvili’s visit to Moscow appeared to ease tension between Russia and Georgia. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Saakashvili offered a cautiously optimistic appraisal of Russian President Vladimir Putin, but expressed concern about other parts of the Russian political establishment. "The thinking in the Kremlin is pragmatic," Saakashvili said, "but in many cases I couldn’t convince the Russians that our Revolution by Roses was not a CIA-sponsored coup. Well, maybe it is better that they do think that!"

He pledged that Tbilisi would not resort to force in an attempt to restore control over the separatist-minded autonomous regions of Abkhazia, Ajaria and South Ossetia. Saakashvili recounted his recent visit to Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital: "Shevarnadze never went there. I went there. It’s just part of Georgia: people hugged and kissed me. Then guards came, with kalashnikovs, and demanded that we leave and respect their sovereignty. We will deal with this by shutting down the smuggling [through South Ossetia]�which pays their salaries."

Saakashvili indicated that reaching a political settlement on Abkhazia’s status will be difficult because the issue has become intertwined with "Russian imperialist psychology that still exists." He urged patience on all sides. "I don’t believe in military solutions. But there is also a vacuum of force. The United States’ organization of a military force [in Georgia] has been a major factor contributing to stability."

In discussing Georgia’s anti-corruption drive -- which has already yielded high-profile arrests, including that of Shevardnadze’s son in law Gia Jokhtaberidze � Saakashvili stressed that his administration was not taking revenge on political enemies, but was instead permitting justice to take its course. "

"It was the prosecutors who did this," said Saakashvili, referring to recent arrests "I learned about it on television." Saakashvili added he was considering submit a proposal to parliament on granting Shevardnadze immunity from prosecution.

Editor�s Note: Alex van Oss is a freelance journalist based in Washington, DC.

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