Current NATO Policy Raises the Security of the South Caucasus: Soso Tsintsadze

“It’s not excluded that Russia will attempt to counteract NATO decisions, by some means, including military ones,” Soso Tsintsadze, rector of Diplomatic Academy of Georgia, political analyst told 168.am, reflecting to the results of Warsaw NATO Summit. Soso Tsintsadze positively assessed all NATO decisions. In his words, it was important that NATO properly understood the direction of the threat and attempted to initiate preventive steps prior to possible provocations.

According to Tsintsadze, the circumstance, that NATO touches upon the dialogue with Russia, attempting not to make Russia “nervous” is important as well.  “Although official statements by Russia speak of the fact that Russia considers NATO’s steps as provocation, NATO has adopted a proper policy, speaking from the positions of both power and dialogue. I think, the forthcoming NATO-Russia Council will be decisive, as NATO is preparing to inform Russia on its steps and also be informed on responsive steps.

In my conviction, it’ll become a benchmark milestone for NATO, it will realize how justified the decisions were , in particular, deploying multinational military units in Baltic countries and in Poland,” Tsintsadze said. According to the latter, although Georgia didn’t obtain what it wanted—NATO membership plan, it recorded a serious progress. “As the president stated, we obtained a new support level from NATO, new assurances, that in the next Summit the issue will be settled.

Georgia-NATO relations have raised to a new level by the signed agreements, referring assistance in the field of Georgia’s defense,” Tsintsadze said. Touching upon the South Caucasus in general, the Georgian analyst highlighted participation of heads of all countries in the Summit, despite the depth of cooperation format. “Armenia’s participation on that level has more importance on account of the nature of Armenia-Russia relations.

Many experts have concerns that this cooperation will be suspended, and such a threat exists, however, Armenia’s authorities will continue expressing their readiness and with their participation they somewhat support the direction adopted by NATO, although serious progress, but maintenance of their volume, is not available,” Soso Tsintsadze said.

In his conviction, however, deepening of Georgia-NATO relations will serve to regional security. “That is, implementation of Russian plans in this environment is becoming complicated either,” he said.

He positively assessed the neutral formulations, which NATO officials decided to apply regarding NK conflict, not attempting to sharpen moods on the conflict zone.

By Araks Martirosyan