Russia Can Make Any Move to Prevent Georgia from Joining NATO

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia has two clear objectives as regards Georgia, Chief of the Department of CIS Countries of the Russian Institute of Strategic Research, Candidate of Historical Sciences Alexander Skakov said in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net "I am nor speaking of a fantastic dream to see Georgia a friendly state. Russia insists on maintenance of the current format of peacekeeping operation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia without making any attempt to internationalize the peaceful process. It first of all wishes the settlement to be convenient not for Moscow or Tbilisi but for the people of these unrecognized republics," Skakov remarked.



He underscored that Georgia's aspiration to join the NATO tenses the relations. "We do not eye the NATO as hostile organization but the anti-Russian vector has strengthened after Latvia, Estonia and to some extent Lithuania and Poland joint the Alliance. Georgia will boost this anti-Russian mood. We do not think that Georgia's joining the NATO is a decoded matter Influential states like Germany, France and Canada hold an opinion that the further enlargement of the NATO is inappropriate. Besides, Georgia will not meet the NATO standards in the near future not to mention the unsettled conflicts on the Georgian territory. The matter concerns only Tbilisi's joining the ID (Intense Dialogue). It does not lay any obligation on the Alliance and does not determine Georgia's membership on the NATO. That is why it cannot arouse Russia's discontent. Each country itself decided its military allies," the Russian expert said. However, he remarked Russian can take any move to prevent Georgia's membership in the NATO. "Some forces in Tbilisi, Washington or Brussels may think that Russia "swallowing" NATO's enlargement towards the Baltic states will tolerate Georgia's joining the Alliance. Russia can for example one-sidedly recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Thus. Georgia will have to choose whether to grant independence to seceded autonomies and bravely head for the NATO or stay in actual war with Russia and forger about the NATO, since the Alliance will never accept Georgia, which is in state of war with its northern neighbor. Tbilisi can get into its own trap," Skakov underscored.

Full text of the interview