"Tbilisi faces a historic choice: Independence or a swamp" Georgian Social Justice party chairman on Caliber.Az

Caliber.Az presents an interview with the Georgian political scientist, the chairman of the Political Movement for Social Justice party, Mamuka Tuskadze.

- Georgia and the United States have recently adopted a 10-year military cooperation programme, which determines the direction of joint security efforts in the coming years. What will it give Tbilisi?

- I don't see anything special about it. The US is the world's hegemon and is trying to further strengthen its influence in the world at the expense of underdeveloped and small countries like Georgia.

Most of the population of Georgia is not in favour of integration into NATO, but we will be very happy to support any individual state in this.

- So, among other things, you don't think Georgia needs NATO membership?

- Yes, it is unacceptable for me that the Georgian government has enshrined in the Constitution the desire for integration into NATO. This deprives the population of the right to choose a different foreign policy course, as well as military neutrality and military impartiality.

My political organisation, as well as myself, are opposed to the foreign policy openly proclaimed by the Georgian government and do not support it.

We will trample at the door of NATO to infinity! This is an impossible mission - we, Caucasians, have a completely different culture and mentality. NATO generally does not accept into its ranks such a nation and such a state like ours, given that the territorial border with an EU member state does not complicate our integration into these international unions.

- How do you assess the Azerbaijan-Türkiye-Georgia cooperation format?

- In our time, this will be the best option, if everything really begins to take place only in the format of cooperation, and not some kind of organisational union. Then all three states will develop rapidly and will be at the forefront of world development. Therefore, our organisation will openly and declaratively support such cooperation between the three states.

- What is the level of cooperation between our countries (Azerbaijan-Georgia) today?

- Since we generally believe that states should communicate with each other directly, without membership in any unions, I believe that more efforts are needed to make cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia deeper and more comprehensive. We need more cultural and sports ties, and exchange programmes in all areas. Very important, of course, is the transparency of political support and all actions that will contribute to the further development of friendship between our two states.

- What is the leading aspect of the activities of the current Georgian government?

- Georgia faces a historic choice - either we continue to independently develop the country only in relations with neighbouring countries and enter into direct agreements with the rest of the world, or we will find ourselves in a swamp into which we are actually dragged and deprived of independent development.

- Opposition rallies in Armenia, led by [Armenian Presidents Robert] Kocharyan and [Serzh] Sargsyan, are closely connected with Moscow. The opposition comes up with revanchist ideas. Do you think the opposition has a chance to restore its power in Armenia?

- Armenians are constantly worried about the complexity of a small nation, which has detrimental consequences for them. But to this day they cannot leave this complex, often trying to seize not only territories but also the cultural heritage of neighbouring peoples. There are many vivid examples of this - they appropriated both the Georgian and Azerbaijani heritage.