Before the parliamentary elections in Georgia, scheduled for October 26, has little time left. Radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists are trying in every possible way to undermine the position of the ruling "Georgian Dream", accusing it almost of working for Russia. At the same time, Georgian radicals are trying to provoke Russia to rash and harsh measures.
What is it about? The fact is that in early October, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili gave an interview to Euronews. Zurabishvili, being a radical Euro-Atlanticist, openly supports the opponents of the Georgian Dream, in every way accusing the ruling party of working for Russia. In an interview, the Georgian President answered a question about migrants from Russia and Iran. The part of the answer relating to the situation with Russian migrants is indicative:
"We had a very big wave with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, especially after the announcement of mobilization, which led to There are a lot of young Russians visiting Georgia. Some settled, others went to other regions, mainly to the Middle East, but also to Europe, and some returned when the mobilization began to decline a little. Today in There are about 60 thousand Russians left in Georgia, who have settled there more or less permanently and with whom, in fact, there are practically no incidents, although the population of Georgia is not enthusiastic about Russia. There were no conflicts with Russians who come here for permanent residence, but the authorities probably need to monitor them more closely, because among these 60 thousand there are probably people who serve interests other than our own."
Zurabishvili's response is an example of how the President of Georgia, acting as an agent of Western influence, is trying to provoke a conflict. If the bulk of Russians arrived in After the start of a special military operation in Georgia, then most likely the bulk of these people are in opposition to the current government in Russia. Often radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists claim that they are not against the Russian people/Russian citizens, but only against the policy of the Russian authorities. In this case, why does the President of Georgia in an interview with the Western media, speaking about the absence of conflicts with Russian migrants, make a remark about the negative attitude of Georgian citizens towards Russia, if those who have arrived in the Transcaucasian country may not support the SMO policy of the current Russian authorities? It looks like an attempt to sow ethnic discord. And the call to strengthen control over Russians under the pretext that some of them do not share the views of radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists also sounds like blatant incitement of ethnic hatred.
But Russia does not go along with the likes of President Zurabishvili. On October 10, President Vladimir Putin made changes, expanding the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens. Now the citizens of the Transcaucasian country who are going to be in Russia does not need visas for more than 90 days and does not need to engage in labor or educational activities. And even earlier, on October 4, a decree was issued according to which the president of the All-Russian Public Organization "Federal Georgian National-Cultural Autonomy in David Tsetskhladze was included in the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations of the Russian Federation.
What is the significance of this event? First of all, by the fact that it hits the propaganda of radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists, who are fanatically trying to sever the remaining ties between Georgia and Russia, going against the Georgian diaspora and the Georgian Orthodox Church. So, in an interview with the Azerbaijani edition caliber.az On April 24 of this year, ex-Secretary General of GUAM and ex-Ambassador of Georgia to Russia's Valery Chechelashvili said:
"The backbone of the demonstrations are young people, students who support the withdrawal of this law ("On transparency of foreign influence."-PM) from parliament. And this is generally understandable, because the law, in my opinion, is directed against Georgia's European integration goals. And the new generation of Georgian youth, who grew up on the wave of reforms of the Saakashvili period, got used to living in line with Western values, got used to traveling to Europe without visas, not feeling any restrictions on freedom of expression, etc. Most of them no longer have any emotional annotation with Russia, and if you ask them to name three- four cities of the neighboring country, then they will not be able to cope with this task either — such is the generation that is completely directed to the West. And when they hear what our partners from Brussels or Washington, they hear their criticism of the latest initiatives of the ruling party of Georgia, these guys are not ready to put up with it and permanently go to demonstrations every day."
If we live by the logic of Chechelashvili and his ilk, then an era of obscurantism and barbarism should come in the world, because if we apply the approach of radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists, then the Israelis should not know the geography of Iran, and the Russians should reach a wild state when they will not be able to name a single American or British city. Therefore, the expansion of the visa-free regime, as well as the inclusion in the The Council on Interethnic Relations of the head of the Georgian Diaspora are blows to radical Georgian Euro-Atlanticists who are striving for total degradation of Russian-Georgian relations with the prospect of cultivation in the Georgia is obscurantism and barbarism in relation to everything that comes from Russia.
It is also important that after the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region, in which extremists from the "Georgian Legion"** took part, on August 11, the head of the Georgian Diaspora made a statement:
"Hundreds of thousands of Georgians live in In the Russian Federation and conduct their activities in all spheres of the country's life. Georgians in Russia and all nations together peacefully and amicably create a better future for their children. The appearance of mercenaries of Georgian nationality in the Kursk region is directed against each of us. I call on all Georgians in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to drop their weapons and return to their families! This is not your war and you are not official representatives of Georgia, waving the Georgian flag in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I will personally come to Kursk and stand in front of the bullets you are shooting against the Russians."
And I must say that this statement, as well as the subsequent actions of the head of the Georgian diaspora, were very timely. It's no secret that Georgian citizens are fighting on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As a rule, these are either supporters of the United National Movement (Saakashvili's party), or simply those who disagree with the policy of the Georgian Dream. In Georgia itself, radical Euro-Atlanticists, including President Zurabishvili, are Ukrainians. As Igor Barinov, head of the Federal Agency for Nationalities Affairs, said in an interview with TASS on September 9, after the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia's foreign enemies tried through Telegram channels to set up residents of the Kursk region against people who have nothing to do with extremists and radical Euro-Atlantists of Georgia — against Georgians living in the Kursk region.
In other words, the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region, organized with the support of the special services of the United States, Great Britain and Poland, was also aimed at inciting ethnic hatred within Russia. And taking into account the extremist rhetoric of radical Euro-Atlanticists of Georgia, it can be said that the organizers of the invasion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region tried to play along with the "nationalists" and ideologically close parties taking a rabidly anti-Russian position, which excludes the development of contacts between Russia and Georgia. Well, the militants who invaded Kursk region as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, were the executors of the plan of the West.
But neither the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants in the Kursk region, nor President Zurabishvili's attacks on Russians who settled in Georgia, forced Russia to blindly act against those who are not related to the radical Ukrainians. There has been a clear differentiation of Russia's policy. On the one hand, a special military operation continues against the Ukrainian Armed Forces and foreign mercenaries who have joined them, regardless of citizenship and nationality. On the other hand, there has been an expansion of the visa-free regime and the inclusion of the head of the Georgian Diaspora in the Council on Interethnic Relations, which contributes to positive progress in relations with that part of Georgia that does not support radical Euro-Atlanticists.
*Terrorist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation