“Armenia must completely rethink its worldview” Caliber.Az interview with Raul Kiria

An interview of Caliber.Az with Georgian political scientist, analyst, editor-in-chief of Front News-Ukraine Raul Kiria.

- What can you say about the current cooling of Georgian-Ukrainian relations?

- Now it is difficult to make any statements, because everyone is emotional, and the war is ongoing in Ukraine. Conclusions can be drawn after it ends.

As for the statements of the Ukrainian side regarding the fact that Georgia allegedly assists Russia in this war, I do not believe them. The Georgian people fully support Ukraine, because when there was a war in Abkhazia, the Ukrainians helped us a lot, supported us on all international platforms.

- On April 29, Borjomi Georgia announced the suspension of production at two factories in Georgia due to financial problems. In addition, some countries refused to buy mineral water from the company for political reasons. What way out of the situation do you see?

- A few years ago, the Russians bought almost all profitable companies in Georgia in many areas, including Borjomi. In this regard, Georgia needs to nationalize all its profitable enterprises, so such cases do not arise.

- What is the Georgian government doing today to return its occupied territories?

- We must start peace negotiations, otherwise we cannot return our lands. We have witnessed how many victims in Ukraine have suffered during this war. And then it will take a considerable time for the people to be able to forget these losses, this horror, it is necessary to build a dialogue between societies and start all over again. It is complicated, because people couldn’t predict what tomorrow will bring.

- How long, in your opinion, will Georgia have to wait for full membership in the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisations (NATO)? Don't you think that such a long wait at the door of NATO and the EU may discourage potential candidates for membership in these organizations? Is there similar scepticism in Georgia?

- I think that Georgia should definitely join these organisations, especially NATO. We need to be protected from Russia in case of receiving a candidate status, then this process will again drag on for many years. NATO needs to reconsider our applications and accept Tbilisi and Kyiv at first, especially in the light of recent events.

In June 2014, Georgia and the EU signed an association agreement, an integral part of which is an agreement on a deep and comprehensive free trade area. Since March 2017, Georgian citizens have been entitled to the visa-free short-term trips to the Schengen countries for tourism, business and guest purposes. The fifth anniversary of the agreement on visa-free travel in the Schengen area was recently marked, and the Georgian government marked this date with large-scale celebrations.

- How do you assess the current level of Georgian-Azerbaijani relations?

- I have great respect for the Azerbaijani people and the country itself, which has done a lot for Georgia. In addition, it is necessary to single out the Azerbaijani state-run oil company SOCAR, which is the largest taxpayer of the state budget of our country. SOCAR has a special social responsibility. The company has implemented a lot of social projects for our population in different regions.

For example, SOCAR Energy Georgia built a multifunctional sports complex in the village of Kiziladzhlo and handed it over to the state. The total area of the complex is 1,157 square meters, its cost was more than 3 million laris.

Nino Surguladze's “Natvris Khe” Charitable Fund and SOCAR signed a memorandum of cooperation. The Nino Surguladze’s fund was established in 2014. It hosted two large-scale charity concerts. Funds received as a result of donations made it possible to successfully carry out high-tech operations and save the lives of severely ill children.

- What do you think, is peace between Baku and Yerevan possible?

- I think it is possible. Armenia must completely rethink its worldview, carry out reforms and make friends with its neighbours, because together we must be able to resist all threats and protect our territories. And to protect them not only from external enemies, but also from within.

- Why do voters prefer the Georgian Dream party?

- There is no such party in Georgia, which could be fully trusted. If there is a normal leader, everything will be different, because today no one is mindful of the people’s interests. I also don’t support Saakashvili as he has lost our trust and our citizenship. But still, I don’t think that the former president should be in prison.