Medvedev concerned about Georgia’s withdrawal from CIS

At a press conference in Moscow held a couple of days ago dedicated to CIS issues, all of a sudden president Medvedev of Russia spoke about Georgia. According to him, Georgia has lost out following its decision to abandon the organization. Georgian analysts meanwhile think that this statement by Medvedev proves that Moscow cannot fully digest Georgia’s move. Medvedev stated that by withdrawing from CIS Georgia has cut all of its links with CIS countries has a negative impact on the state. The Russian president was trying to prove the effectiveness of the organization. “This means that, even in this negative example, CIS proves its capacity to regulate interstate relations and it helps us to develop jointly,” stated Medvedev.

Comrade Medvedev is too young to have sclerosis, so he should remember in which situation Tbilisi made the decision to withdraw from the organization and, in this regard, the regulation of ‘interstate relations’ of joint development sounds ridiculous, cynical and hypocritical, as it is well-known president Saakashvili took the decision to withdraw from CIS when Russian troops were attacking Georgian villages and Russian aviation was bombing a sovereign country’s territory and a CIS member country was occupying the territory of another CIS country. These incidents were followed by organizing puppet states on Georgian territory and recognizing them as independent states.

Georgia entered CIS under Shevardnadze, when Russians supported Abkhaz separatists, managed to defeat Georgian forces in Abkhazia, several hundred peaceful population of ethnic Georgians were forced to leave the region and the Shevardnadze administration was under the threat of collapse. So, it was an attempt to rescue Georgia and to satisfy Moscow’s greed at the same time. It was impossible to solve the problems which had been artificially created by Moscow itself.

The biggest benefit of CIS membership for Georgia was access to the Russian market. But starting from 1999, Russia blocked this by introducing a visa regime between the countries and, from 2006, closed its market to Georgian agricultural products, wines and mineral waters. So, while the Russian market was and still is closed for Georgian products, the markets of other CIS countries are open for Georgia courtesy of bilateral agreements.

Georgia’s withdrawal from CIS was not just an emotional reaction over the Russian invasion, it was a result of Moscow’s consistent pressure on Georgia in different directions, culminating in war against Georgia.

Georgian analysts think that Medvedev’s above mentioned statement proves that Georgia made the right step, whereas Russia is upset. One thing should be clear to the Russians and everyone else, even the utmost pro Russian leader or force in Georgia would not dare make step towards the CIS if Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region are not integrated back to Georgia.

There is one opinion also, which was humbly aired in 2008 for Georgia to stay in the CIS to draw a case against Russia who attacked a fellow CIS member country militarily, and use the CIS tribune to strengthen its opposition and undermine Russian leadership in the CIS and thus obtain the support of the other CIS countries. But this would have been a gamble, as for today’s situation, the current development in Russia itself, recent nationalistic and fascist slogans against the representatives of other nations which are seen in Russia and in Moscow in particular recently, gives extra ground for other CIS countries to reconsider their presence in the organization.