A measure of Georgian self-defence with US help

Georgia's State Minister for Reintegration Temur Yakobashvili has called the Strategic Partnership Charter between the USA and Georgia signed in Washington on 9th January a historical document for future generations. And he has suggested that Moscow's reaction to this agreement will be extremely negative...

"The Charter will work," he said on 11th January on the Imedi TV channel. "Its main strength is as a signal sent by America to Russia in response to talk that Georgia lies in the sphere of its strategic interests. There's absolutely no doubt that the USA will help Georgia to defend itself. At this stage I don't want to say what form this will take. That wouldn't be right. But apart from the military component there are numerous other components - political, economic, diplomatic and so on." In the minister's opinion, Moscow will definitely respond to this agreement. Inevitably, in a negative way.

"For the time being Russia is remaining silent, primarily because it's busy dealing with Ukraine and because very recently it had not a gas war, but a totally different war with Georgia - involving tanks, bombs et cetera. I think that at the moment it's busy sorting out issues with Ukraine and Europe, but that doesn't mean that we should just sit back. I think that most acts of provocation can be expected on the so-called administrative borders with the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia."

According to him, "surprises" have been stockpiled for Georgia in Russia's arsenal, and Moscow will not limit itself to creating an atmosphere of tension in the country's conflict regions. However, Yakobashvili noted that "Georgia's choice is correct, and no acts of provocation will change it".

Abkhazia was the first to respond to the minister's comments. The republic's Foreign Ministry called the charter a continuation of Georgia's "unwise policies".

"It is a provocative move leading to a worsening of relations with Russia," was the assessment that the head of their foreign policy agency Sergei Shamba gave of the document in an interview with the TV station Rustavi-2. "Georgia is continuing its provocative policies which have already brought it deplorable results."

According to him, Georgia "needs to think for itself how it should act in the region and how to live alongside its neighbours".

Yakobashvili, in turn, also failed to bite his tongue.

"The USA-Georgia charter provides the prospect of development and a better future for the Abkhazians, and it would be good if the Abkhazian side seized this opportunity," he was quoted as saying by abkhazeti.info.

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