Baerbock in Georgia and North Macedonia: Relationship Status: Complicated

Status: 03/25/2023 03:48 am

Limiting Russia’s influence and strengthening EU ambitions – this challenge dominated Foreign Minister Baerbock’s trip to North Macedonia and Georgia. In particular, the situation with the Russian neighbor is complicated.

By Kai Küstner, ARD Capital Studio

The binoculars that the German Foreign Minister is holding to her eyes are justified: Annalena Baerbock is standing on a hill in northern Georgia. An expert from the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), active here, explains to her where exactly down there in the valley runs the line that also marks a Russian land grab here in the Caucasus state.

A line that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but which separates the South Ossetia region from the rest of the country. A region that has been under Russian occupation since the 2008 war. In this respect, looking through the binoculars for Baerbock is also a look into the past. At a time when, in retrospect, quite a few say: Even then, one could have guessed Putin’s imperialist ambitions – even without a magnifying glass.

In any case, the German Foreign Minister’s trip to this place, 50 kilometers from the capital, is a highly symbolic act: the world sees, according to the signal, that Moscow is not leaving its neighbors in peace here either.

Annalena Baerbock on the administrative line to South Ossetia with a member of the EU observer mission.

Image: dpa

Moscow wants to expand its influence on Georgia

For Georgia, Russian control of parts of its territory and the presence of Russian troops mean that NATO membership is out of the question for the foreseeable future. And in other respects too, Moscow is trying to maintain, if not expand, its influence on its Caucasus neighbors.

The economic ties are strong anyway: “The fact that you are supporting Ukraine against this background clearly shows what values ​​you share. This also underscores your place in the European Union.” Baerbock expressed this praise to her Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili at the joint press conference.

EU accession is the declared goal of the government in Tbilisi. Together with Ukraine and Moldova, the country applied for official candidate country status in 2022. However, unlike the other two countries, Brussels has not yet conferred these consecrations on Georgia. Precisely because a number of reforms are still pending here.

Media, judiciary and human rights under pressure

However, anyone who speaks to Georgian civil society doubts that the government is willing to actually implement these. An old building that is as charming as it is in need of renovation in the center of the capital. Graffiti on the outside wall. “Fuck Putin” is written on one of them. Here Baerbock meets four representatives who are fighting for the democratization of the country.

They vividly describe to the minister how the government is putting them under pressure to try to curtail the scope for the media, the judiciary and human rights activists in the interest of staying in power. Best example: A law with which the government wanted to classify foreign media and organizations as “agents”. They simply took Moscow as a model and made “copy and paste” with a similarly structured Russian law, as the women describe it. In general, nobody here leaves any doubt that they consider the government in Tbilisi to be pro-Russian.

The governing party finally withdrew the bill after violent protests by thousands, mostly young people. But it is doubted that this should have been the last attempt at curtailing democracy of this kind.

Which makes it clear: things in Russia’s neighboring country of Georgia are complicated. A population overwhelmingly convinced of the European course has to deal with a governing party called “Georgian Dream”, which has yet to prove that it is really firmly on the EU course.

Much is at stake for Europe

“There are moments in life and in politics where you stand at a crossroads and where it is important to boldly go in the right direction.” Baerbock said this sentence on day one of her trip – in North Macedonia. But she formulated it similarly in Tbilisi: He meant it as a hint to both countries to jump over their own domestic shadows – and to fulfill the conditions of the EU.

As far as North Macedonia’s path is concerned, the Balkan state has had what Georgia has yet to achieve for almost two decades, namely since 2005: the status of a candidate country. In North Macedonia, a constitutional amendment to protect the country’s Bulgarian minority is a prerequisite for bold progress.

If the EU process falls apart again in both cases – in the Caucasus and in the Balkans – there is also a lot at stake for Europe: That would mean that Russia would then be able to expand its influence in these regions all the more unhindered. In times of system conflict between democratic and authoritarian states, that would be devastating news for the West and especially for the EU.

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