Georgia Pursues 'Strategic Patience' Policy Towards Russia

The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, has stated that the previous administration of former President Mikheil Saakashvili adopted a policy of constantly making concessions in relations with Russia.

“We are not making concessions; it was the 'United National Movement' led by Saakashvili that begged the Russians to hold cultural exchange events months after the 2008 war, allowed Russia to join the World Trade Organization, and sold strategic assets to the Russians. Our policy is to maintain peace and develop the economy,” said Papuashvili.

According to him, the current government of Georgia is not even considering the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Russia. “The shocks, the war, and its consequences have severely impacted us and pushed us back for decades. As a result of our policy, Georgia currently has the lowest unemployment rate. Why? Because we managed to maintain peace for ten years. That is not a concession; it is a strategy, a policy of patience,” noted the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili.