Peaceful Neighbourhood -Georgia’s Role and Vision

Over the past decades, the security environment in the South Caucasus region has continuously deteriorated. Secessionist movements that sprung up after the dissolution of the USSR, occupation of sovereign Georgian land after the 2008 aggression perpetrated by Russia, the illicit, so called ‘borderisation’ process, as well as the military confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan create a fragile environment in the region in terms of security. The unprovoked and unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine poses new challenges for the countries in the region.

Amid these challenges, with the support of the international community and through using multilateral diplomatic instruments, it is well in the interests of the South Caucasus states to create a practice of regional cooperation which would lead to the prevention of further escalation of conflicts, restoration of political trust, prevention of potential limitation of sovereignty by outside powers, and the deepening of people-to-people and economic ties.

For these purposes, on September 25, 2021, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, presented a Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative at the United National General Assembly. The cornerstone of said initiative concerns the establishment of long-term peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus region.

Lasha Darsalia

Georgia’s Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative

Georgia’s will and goal is to establish an environment of cooperation and peace in the region, which is the main point of the Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative. Considering the ever-changing geopolitical environment, which is translated into the new strategic reality for the region, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan must demonstrate that, despite having diverging foreign policy goals, they have common interests in building a resilient cooperation. In other words, reaching the stage of relationship where the potential benefits of cooperation significantly trump the attendant political risks.

The Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative is not directed against any other state, with its main goal being the lowering of regional tensions. Intensified cooperation among the three South Caucasus nations is a matter of common interest, as it would support the accomplishment of political objectives and increase the role and engagement of interested partners. A tangible example of such cooperation took place in June of 2021, when the Georgian PM, along with the US State Department, mediated a release of Armenian prisoners of war. Azerbaijan, in turn, received a map of minefeilds from Armenia. Similar cases would facilitate trust-building, establishing good cooperation practices across the region.

Striving towards peace as a joint effort, including through the development of economic and people-to-people contacts, will also contribute to the establishment of an independent agenda for the three South Caucasian states. This would free the region from undesirable external influences and increase the role and influence of South Caucasus within the rules-based international order.

Ensuring security and prosperity, as well as deepening people-to-people ties in the region is key for the success of this initiative. Georgia’s task lies in supporting simultaneous tracks of restoring political trust and reviving economic and people-to-people ties, paving the way for the practice of ever-deepening cooperation.

Prolonged conflicts act as a significant hindrance to the establishment of a peaceful neighbourhood in the South Caucasus region. In fact, most secessionist conflicts in the post-Soviet space sprung up in South Caucasus, which resulted in the deterioration of conditions for human security, as well as the fragmentation of territorial entities. Russia, in turn, further exacerbated said conflicts, prolonging them, in order to later enter the stage as a mediating power, thus, aiming at retaining control over the three states of the South Caucasus.

Regardless of the engagement of the international community, tensions remain high in the region. Despite the Russian-mediated ceasefire agreement signed by Armenia and Azerbaijan in November of 2020, the existing distrust between the two states, along with unresolved political issues, hinders the establishment of meaningful economic and people-to-people relations. As a result of the Second Karabakh War, the multilateral diplomatic peace-building format was downgraded, which presents a threat to long-term stability and development of the region.

Due to the 2008 Russo-Georgian war, Russia’s illicit and illegitimate occupation and recognition of Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia as independent states, along with the borderisation policy pursued by the Kremlin, divisions between Georgian, Abkhaz and Ossetian communities only widened. The EU monitoring mission (EUMM) is not permitted to operate in the occupied regions, while Russia, simultaneously, hinders the establishment of international mechanisms for human rights protection and security-building in the occupied regions of Georgia. The existing Geneva International Discussions (GID) and Incident Prevention and Reaction Mechanism (IPRM) act as necessary formats for negotiations to take place. Nevertheless, Russia is not interested in utilizing these instruments for ensuring long-term peace in the region.

In order to build a peaceful neighbourhood, Georgia supports the revival of multilateral diplomatic formats to resolve conflicts as well as the tangible political and economic engagement of the international actors. Strengthening the role of international institutions in the region acts as a guarantee for long-term stability in the South Caucasus, which will improve both the general security environment and the conditions for the establishment of a more developed and interconnected Caucasus. The series of trilateral meetings between the President of the European Council, President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia held in December of 2021, and April and May of 2022, are notable, as they aimed at the peaceful resolution of the existing disagreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the Second Karabakh War, as well as supporting the long-term peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

Economic cooperation acts as a significant driver for regional integration. Strengthening of the economic ties between the three Caucasus states will further deepen mutual trust, supporting the improvement of political relations.

In order to achieve stable economic development and further interconnectedness in the South Caucasus region, within the framework of the Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative, it is important to: revive existing economic and people-to-people relations among the three South Caucasus countries; ensure the security and competitive nature of energy and transport corridors traversing the region; and encourage multilateral cooperation among said states within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

Revival of Existing Economic and People-to-People Relations

Naturally, economic security acts as a significant component for overall security in the South Caucasus. Bilateral relations between Georgia and Armenia, and Georgia and Azerbaijan are already close, however, revival of overall relations would boost economic development in the region. It is noteworthy that after a decade-long pause, in 2021, Georgia reinstated meetings as part of the Intergovernmental Economic Commissions with Armenia and Azerbaijan, which would encourage the growth of economic potential in the wider region. Nevertheless, in order to achieve long-term stability, it is necessary to rebuild a political trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which would act as a solid basis for the revival of economic ties.

Elevation of people-to-people relations also bears pivotal significance. To that end, simplifying the border-crossing regime among the three South Caucasus states is desirable, providing additional impetus to the strengthening of people-to-people relations, thus, further connecting the region economically. Simultaneously, working on the projects of common interest for Georgian, Armenian, and Azerbaijani societies will facilitate the accumulation of cooperative experiences across various domains, which, in turn, could serve as a solid basis for the execution of larger scale projects in the future.

Security and Attractiveness of Energy and Transport Corridors in the South Caucasus

Strengthening of transit functions of the South Caucasus region, ensuring the security of existing energy and transport corridors, and maintaining their attractiveness, act as a necessary precondition for the long-term stability of the region. Maintenance of security of the aforementioned energy and transport corridors requires the creation of necessary conditions for conflict-resolution and trust-building, which can be achieved through active engagement of international actors and through utilizing multilateral diplomatic formats.

In order to maintain the attractiveness of regional projects it is important to develop projects that are devoid of expansionist geopolitical agendas. The existence of political trust towards all parties involved in said projects acts a necessary precondition for the rise in competitiveness of the region. Another factor concerns the availability of the necessary economic and diplomatic resources for the implementation of the large-scale infrastructure projects. In the modern globalized world, prosperity of the South Caucasus states is closely connected to the Western-led international order, which rests upon the principles of free trade and respect of international law. Active presence and engagement of the West in the South Caucasus acts as a foundation for long-term stability and prosperity for the region.

Cooperation within the Eastern Partnership Format

The EU’s Eastern Partnership Initiative plays a significant role in the development of the South Caucasus. Georgia’s political aspirations in relation to the EU differ from those of its neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan, with Tbilisi officially submitting the application for accession into the organization on March 3rd of 2022 and receiving the European Perspective, however this does not hinder the development of the economic and social agenda of the Eastern Partnership Initiative.

By the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Eastern Partnership Initiative, the region ranked 10th among EU’s trading partners, with the EU occupying the number one position for Georgia and Azerbaijan in terms of foreign trade; the EU was also among the primary trading partners for Armenia. On the 2021 Eastern Partnership summit, the EU came up with an economic and investment plan, aiming at achieving social and economic reconstruction in the post-Pandemic period and ensuring long-term economic resilience, as well as developing transport infrastructure in the region. The three states of the South Caucasus must translate the benefits received from their interaction with the EU into the well-being of their societies, which would act as a good basis for further regional interconnectedness.

Further engagement of the EU in the region, which is a trusted geopolitical and economic actor, would support the attraction of investments, including through the participation of international financial institutions. Increased investment and implementation of large-scale projects will, in turn, improve economic competitiveness of the region overall, which could act as a solid basis for long-term stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

Long-term peace and sustainable cooperation in the South Caucasus can only be achieved by the deepening of political, economic and people-to-people relations. This, at the same time, depends on rebuilding of trust: rebuilding political trust helps the revival of economic and people-to-people relations, which, in turn, could become foundational for the ultimate resolution of the conflict.

It is in the interests of the South Caucasus region to resolve existing conflicts via the means of multilateral diplomatic engagement. Involvement of the international community and international institutions ensures the strengthening of economic competitiveness of the region, as well as the security of the existing energy and transport corridors.

In order to ensure long-term peace in the region it is of fundamental significance that the three Caucasus states themselves become the driving force behind the interregional cooperation. By proposing the Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative, Georgia attempts to illustrate that the South Caucasus states are capable of taking ownership of the significant regional humanitarian, economic, and political initiatives, while, simultaneously, maintaining close cooperation with external actors that respect the rules-based international order.

* Lasha Darsalia – First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

Contents
A Collection of Analytical Articles № 2

Address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

Foreword

Peaceful Neighbourhood -Georgia’s Role and Vision

Lasha Darsalia

Russias Revisionist View Regarding the European Security Architecture Causes of the Crisis and the Goals of the Kremlin

Ana Chitaladze

EU-China Rivalry and Sanction Policy

Davit Pipinashvili

New Enlargement Policy – The EU’s Renaissance

Lika Chipashvili

Future of the Eastern Partnership and the New Prospects of the EU-Georgian Relations

Baia Kapanadze

Military Alliance of the US, UK, and Australia (AUKUS) Minilateralism and Georgia’s

Imedi (Ivi) Alshibaia