Politicians Assess Establishment of Strategic Partnership Between Georgia and China
On July 28, in the framework of the visit of the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to China, the two sides issued the joint statement on establishing Strategic Partnership. According to the PM administration, the statement consists of four parts: political domain, economic domain, people-to-people relations and cultural domain, and international cooperation domain.
Civil.ge has compiled the assessments of the China-Georgia Strategic Partnership by politicians.
Remarks from the ruling party
Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Parliament: “As for the deepening of relations with China, this was done by the Parliament within the framework of the resolution on foreign policy, which this Parliament adopted in December 2020… When we talk about strengthening the new role of Georgia, within the Middle Corridor… China is of crucial importance here. When we talk about transportation of different kinds of goods, China is, of course, is the country that can load this transport corridor. Therefore, it is important that one of the most important players in the issue of the use of the Middle Corridor is already our strategic partner in this agreement… We have had a very strong relationship with China for years, we have a free trade agreement with China, and in this regard we are one of the unique countries that has a free trade agreement with both the European Union and China at the same time, which adds value to our country”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the “Georgian Dream”: “This was the most important visit of the Prime Minister and the establishment of a Strategic Partnership with China is one of the most important foreign policy achievements of Irakli Garibashvili… Everything in the Strategic Partnership with China will be transparent. Of course, we will be in the mode of consultations with all partners… I don’t know what the State Department’s statement that the partnership with China hinders Georgia’s European integration means. The main thing is that the Strategic Partnership with China will contribute to the realization of our national interests. As for China’s interests in the Anaklia port, which the US State Department mentions, if the US cares about the Anaklia port, it should express it through investments… Any investment would be very welcome for us… China is one of the superpowers with the second largest economy in the world… China plays a very important role in the world from the economic point of view… Therefore, establishing a Strategic Partnership with China is of fundamental importance for the development of our country”.
Kakha Kaladze, General Secretary of “Georgian Dream”, Mayor of Tbilisi: “The Prime Minister had a very important visit. It’s important to further deepen the relations between Georgia and China. There are great opportunities in terms of economic development for investments to come to Georgia, more money to be invested and new jobs to be created. We have all seen what important announcements and messages have been made. Of course, this will have concrete consequences, with the interests of our country taken into account. Georgia and Georgian people will get even more benefits. This visit is important for our country and its future”.
Giorgi Volski, “Georgian Dream”: “China has strategic relations with 110 countries, including almost all the countries of the European Union… Therefore, if it does not hurt, we will catch up with our Western partners in terms of the relations with China. …For a small country, such as Georgia, stability and political issues related to territorial integrity and many other directions are important, especially with a country with the second largest economy in the world”.
Guram Macharashvili, political group “People’s Power”: “… Georgia’s relations with the People’s Republic of China, whether economic or political, or cultural have always been important. Every Government has always noted this, especially in recent years when China’s economy has been growing and has a large share in the world economy”.
Remarks from the opposition
Teona Akubardia, parliamentary group “Reforms Group”: “China and Georgia have … a free trade agreement and economic relations, although raising these relations to a Strategic Partnership goes beyond both the foreign policy strategy and the foreign policy resolution of the Parliament, which means that in the foreign policy priorities, the Parliament has not requested this from the Government. Therefore, since this process goes beyond the foreign policy strategy and we do not know what is being talked about, it’s difficult for me to comment. However, I have sent a parliamentary question to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I do not rule out that we will summon the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the interpellation, along with a group of deputies to explain what the Strategic Partnership with China entails”.
Roman Gotsiridze, political group “Euro-optimists”: “China attaches lots of various meanings differing in essence, from what, for instance, the US attaches to the Strategic Partnership meaning. Almost every other EU country has signed a similar agreement with China, including Ukraine. Therefore, deepening trade and economic relations with China is good, but in this case we should be careful to avoid investments that are already a subject of common interest with our Western strategic partner countries”.
Mikheil Daushvili, political group “For Georgia”: “China is a country with a huge economy, with which we certainly need economic cooperation, and it is important for us… Georgia has the great privilege to have a free trade agreement with both China and the European Union, but we must understand that when we talk about Strategic Partnership, some important issues arise. The first is that this Strategic Partnership will inadvertently damage our relations with the existing strategic partners – the European Union, the United States, with whom we have strengthened our strategic relations through our Constitution”.
Tamaz Datunashvili, “Lelo – for Georgia”: “This is another attempt to sabotage the EU membership candidacy and sabotage our Western course… It is impossible to have a Strategic Partnership with China at a time when we are talking about Euro-Atlantic integration… China is the main financier of Russia’s war, China is the one blocking Russia’s sanctions. Therefore, in this situation, a Strategic Partnership with China means a Strategic Partnership with Russia”.
Sergo Chikhladze, “Strategy Agmashenebeli”: “It’s premature to talk about Strategic Partnership, because the framework of strategic partnership is determined by the Parliament and it is established by law. So far, we have a Strategic Partnership with the United States. Parliament has not given the government the approval for a Strategic Partnership with China. The Government must take into account the opinion of the Parliament and fulfill the request of the Parliament. Of course, we should have a good attitude, a partnership attitude, but the strategic partnership implies a different level and it needs an agreement with the parliament”.
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