"EU has set conditions to punish Georgia" Caliber.Az from Tbilisi

Caliber.Az had an interview with Zurab Tsotsoriya, representative of the Georgian Center for International Policy Research and Forecasting in CIS countries.

- What consequences can be foreseen from the Russian-Ukrainian war for the global financial system, particularly for the South Caucasus and Georgia?

- I believe that this war will not end soon, and it will lead humanity to a crisis that no one can yet imagine. Even if, say, Russia and Ukraine are able to reach an agreement mediated by the United States, where will the line of demarcation be drawn? It would be illegitimate anywhere. This conflict will remain unresolved in any case, and the space of legitimation makes no sense in the legal field.

After World War II, humanity is a completely self-regulating system. At this point, until about 2028, all political formats will be exhausted and, except for weapons, there will not be any instrument of communication. As a result, a global war will ensue...

- Georgia aspires to join the European Union. What will it give to its economy?

- It will not give anything. When the destruction of world markets is going on, it will be difficult to find places for our goods in the EU. Now is the time that it is better to develop our own markets, to replace exports with our own goods than to look for world markets.

- The US has accused a number of countries, including Georgia, of circumventing sanctions against Russia. Do you share Washington's concerns?

- I do, but that does not mean that they are right. There are three political systems in the world today - the American, Chinese and Russian systems. They have completely different concepts of justice, so they evaluate each other's actions based on their own criteria.

Americans want globalization, although globalization in their understanding is a cultural expansion, which has always been inherent in world history. But world civilization is possible only if all three systems exist.

- Georgia is a country with rapidly developing tourism. However, lately, those who come to the country express dissatisfaction with the fact that there is a tangible increase in prices, especially in restaurants, where they hiked by 20-30%. What is the reason for this rise in prices and how will it affect the tourist flow?

- This is a normal market relationship. When there is great demand, prices go up automatically.

- How does the outflow of Russian and Ukrainian citizens to Georgia after the war affect the economic indicators of the country?

- The positive side is that the domestic market is growing and the bad side is that Georgians are fleeing their own country for permanent residence abroad and as a result, we are losing our national identity.

- How has the Russian-Ukrainian military conflict affected remittances to Georgia?

- There is no particular impact, but it has become difficult to send money from Georgia to Russia and Belarus. Political relations are so strong in the world that economic relations cannot counteract them.

- Do you think that the EU will accept Georgia this December?

- The conditions are not set for our government to accept or not to accept us into the EU. This is done to punish Georgia. Basically, the EU is not concerned about Georgia right now. Our people are dissatisfied with the unfulfilled promises of the government, and the government is forced to play a double game. This is an insoluble conflict.

- What events do you predict in the Caucasus in the near future?

- In 2028 a global war will start, where everyone will be against everyone else. And it will be impossible to stop it if we do not initiate the program on reform of the UN before that.

- And how do you assess Georgia's chances of joining NATO?

- I think that NATO will collapse as an organization. This alliance has become ineffective and is no longer being used as intended.