Translated material
Hand to Moscow
Georgian diplomacy was headed by a Russian citizen
Serious personnel changes have occurred in the power structures of Georgia, which will affect relations with Russia. The Georgian Foreign Ministry was headed by 49-year-old Grigory Vashadze, who managed to work for eight years in the Soviet foreign policy department. A professional diplomat, who in addition to Georgian also has Russian citizenship, has been in charge of the Russian direction since February of this year as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In November he was appointed Minister of Culture, Sports and Monument Protection. However, this area is also close to him, because his wife is the famous ballerina Nino Ananiashvili.Mr. Vashadze has already stated that he is ready for dialogue with Russia, subject to three provisions: Moscow must recognize the “independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Georgia. The appointment of a new Foreign Minister indicates an attempt by President Mikheil Saakashvili to improve relations with Russia, Georgian analysts believe. Another step in this direction was the proposal to head the Ministry of Culture to Zurab Abashidze, who served as ambassador to Russia in 2000-2004. His appointment could have contributed to the resumption of dialogue between cultural and artistic figures of the two countries, but Abashidze at the last moment refused the ministerial chair. It is expected that the former ambassador will now receive an invitation to work at the Foreign Ministry.
Georgian Prime Minister Grigol Mgaloblishvili announced the resignations of Foreign Minister Ekaterina Tkeshelashvili, Defense Minister David Kezerashvili, Education and Science Minister Giorgi Nodia, as well as Secretary of the National Security Council Alexander Lomai late on Friday. Today the government of Georgia will meet for the first time in a new composition.
It seems that Mikheil Saakashvili made some personnel decisions in a hurry. The head of the Foreign Ministry learned about her resignation abroad - on that day, Ekaterina Tkeshelashvili was at the OSCE summit in Helsinki, where she spoke about the “Russian annexation and occupation” of Georgian lands in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Regarding David Kezerashvili, Georgian leaders constantly said that his resignation from the post of head of the military department was “inappropriate” - they say, despite the local military defeat in August, “the war with Russia continues.” However, he lost his post, and now the duties of the Minister of Defense will be performed by the first deputy, 34-year-old Batu Kutelia.
Only a month ago, the president replaced several ministers without disturbing the security forces and the head of the Foreign Ministry. This caused misunderstanding in Georgian society, which expected a more decisive search for those responsible for the country's military and diplomatic failures. Representatives of the Georgian opposition and political scientists agree that with new personnel changes , President Saakashvili decided to counter the news of the resignation of permanent representative to the UN Irakli Alasania, who wrote a corresponding petition on December 4. The appointment of a new minister to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs automatically led to the resignation of the deputies and all heads of diplomatic missions of Georgia, thanks to which Saakashvili retained the initiative in resigning the permanent representative to the UN.
“Saakashvili is afraid of Alasania because he sees him as a competitor,” Georgian political scientist Paata Zakareishvili told Vremya Novostey. “Alasania went through the school of big politics, and now he has become very popular in Western political circles.” The Georgian media have long been predicting a serious political future for Mr. Alasania - they do not rule out a presidential post. On December 21, Irakli Alasania will turn 35 years old, after which the law will allow him to apply for the highest post in the state.
Under President Eduard Shevardnadze, Mr. Alasania managed to work as Deputy Minister of State Security. Despite his youth, he made a great contribution to defusing the situation in the Pankisi Gorge, in which Chechen militants and Arab mercenaries were located. After the Rose Revolution, Mr. Alasania was appointed head of the Abkhaz government in exile and special presidential envoy to resolve the conflict in Abkhazia. His father, with the rank of general, died during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1992-1993.
Irakli Alasania enjoys a reputation as an opponent of forceful resolution of conflicts. The former permanent representative admitted that he informed his leadership in Tbilisi of his intention to resign two months ago, that is, shortly after the August crisis. Mr Alasania is expected to arrive in Tbilisi in mid-December and announce his political future. Vremya Novostey's sources in the Republican Party and the New Right movement confirmed the fact of consultations with the former permanent representative. The prospects for negotiations will become clearer in the coming days, when Republicans and the “right” announce the creation of an alliance.
The leader of the “United Opposition” of Georgia, Levan Gachechiladze, who is in Paris and holding consultations with Saakashvili’s former ally, and now political emigrant Irakli Okruashvili, welcomed the possible transition of Irakli Alasania to the opposition camp. Almost all opponents of the government are seeking to call early presidential and parliamentary elections in the spring. True, the opposition may agree to wait until July 31, 2009, when a special commission of the European Union will have to complete its investigation into the circumstances of the hostilities around South Ossetia. The results of the international investigation can arm the opposition with serious arguments in the fight against Saakashvili. Georgian experts believe that Irakli Alasania and the ex-speaker of parliament, leader of the Democratic Movement “United Georgia”, 44-year-old Nino Burjanadze, can already today lay claim to leadership in the struggle for the political favor of the West.