time to talk more georgia, less russia

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This article was downloaded by: [University of California Santa Barbara] On: 18 October 2014, At: 11:59 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rspe20 Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia Anna Matveeva a a Visiting Fellow at the Crisis States’ Research Centre , London School of Economics Published online: 29 Aug 2008. To cite this article: Anna Matveeva (2006) Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia, The International Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs, 41:4, 109-111, DOI: 10.1080/03932720608459442 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03932720608459442 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/ page/terms-and-conditions

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Page 1: Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia

This article was downloaded by: [University of California Santa Barbara]On: 18 October 2014, At: 11:59Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

The International Spectator: ItalianJournal of International AffairsPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rspe20

Time to talk more Georgia, LessRussiaAnna Matveeva aa Visiting Fellow at the Crisis States’ Research Centre ,London School of EconomicsPublished online: 29 Aug 2008.

To cite this article: Anna Matveeva (2006) Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia, TheInternational Spectator: Italian Journal of International Affairs, 41:4, 109-111, DOI:10.1080/03932720608459442

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03932720608459442

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information(the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor& Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warrantieswhatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of theContent. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions andviews of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. Theaccuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independentlyverified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liablefor any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages,and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly inconnection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia

The International Spectator 4/2006

Book reviews and Notes

Time to Talk More Georgia,Less Russia

Anna Matveeva*

Statehood and security : Georgia after the Rose

Revolution I Bruno Coppieters andRobert Legvold, editors. - Cambridge,Mass.: American Academy of Arts andSciences ; MIT Press, c2005. - xiii, 406p. - ISBN 0262033437. - ISBN026253276X (pbk.)

The book is a part of the series of theAmerican Academy Studies in GlobalSecurity and the last of five volumes onsecurity challenges in the countries ofthe former Soviet Union. It addressesthe domestic and regional security ofGeorgia in the context of the widerCaucasus region. The individual chap-ters are authored by well-knownGeorgian and Western experts on thecountry. It seeks to explain howGeorgia's present and past leadershipshave dealt with the challenge of seces-

sion, attempted to create a defenceestablishment and promoted militaryand political relations with outside pow-ers. It also places Georgia within thebroader context of the interests andstakes in the Caucasus, such as energysecurity, the unresolved Karabakh con-flict and the lack of regional coopera-tion. The book sets itself three inter-related tasks: to untangle different layersof security challenges arising within andoutside Georgia and their mutual influ-ences, to explain why these challengesmatter for the international communityand finally, to point out what needs tobe done in response.

Christoph Zurcher analyses the ori-gins of Georgian statehood and theuneasy road to independence ("Georgia'sTime of Troubles, 1989-93"). GhiaNodia explores the complex interrela-

* Anna Matveeva is Visiting Fellow at the Crisis States' Research Centre, London School ofEconomics.

© 2006 Istituto Affari Internazionali

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Page 3: Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia

110 Time to Talk More Georgia, Less Russia

tionship between security and state-hood, attributing deficiencies in securi-ty to challenges of development andstate-building, which he calls "compet-ing national projects". His argument isthat "issues related to the creation ofeffective, stable and legitimate stateinstitutions lie at the core of Georgia'ssecurity problems" (p. 81). DavidDarchiashvili's chapter looks at thedestructive interplay between the enfee-bled state, corruption and the military,arguing that "the fate of military reformsdepends on the dynamics within thepolitical system in which they unfold"(p. 117). Oksana Antonenko assessesRussia's policy, using Abkhazia as anexample and showing that Moscow'sability to manipulate the internal politi-cal developments of its client regions isat best limited. Thomas de Waal discuss-es relationships within the SouthCaucasian region, including pipelinepolitics, arguing that the significance ofthe Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline forGeorgia has been exaggerated. He con-cludes that "Georgia alone is not respon-sible for the fractured conditions of itsneighbourhood and its uncertain future,but it has done little to mend the cracksand break down the barriers" (p. 337).

The collective monograph is a solidread for students of Georgia and the pol-itics of the Soviet successor states andpresents a useful resource for the historyof Georgia since it gained independ-ence. The title, however, is misleading.First, most of the space is given to the"pre-revolutionary period" with onlysome assessments/projections of Presi-dent Saakashvili's time (the book waswritten when it was still too early to

explore the policies of the new regime).Second, it concentrates mainly on Rus-sia as the single most important factor inall aspects of Georgia's statehood andsecurity: half the chapters deal withRussia explicitly while the others discuss"the Russian factor" as a derivative ofother issues, be it pipeline politics, mili-tary reform or rivalry with the West.Thus, a more accurate description wouldhave been "The Role of Russia inGeorgia's Security".

This brings out a wider issue of locat-ing Georgia within the post-Soviet con-text, dwelling heavily on Russia anddrawing comparisons with the Balticstates and Ukraine, as Robert Legvolddoes in his introductory chapter on"Outlining the Challenge". This mayhave been a valid perspective a decadeago, but is probably insufficient at pres-ent, and a paradigm shift from a "transi-tion period" is needed. Bruno Coppietersin his concluding chapter on "LocatingGeorgian Security" employs an interest-ing concept of "centre" and "periphery",considering the country from both per-spectives. On the one hand, Georgia isexpected to exercise authority over itsterritory playing the role of "centre",especially in problems relating to partic-ular peripheries. On the other hand, it isa small state striving to be recognised onthe international legal level as an equalamong others, and thus could be seen asa "periphery". The concept of sovereign-ty is crucial to both types of relation-ships (p. 342).

However, it may be time to exploreotherlnterpretative lenses, such as post-colonial development and the perils ofestablishing a state in the aftermath of

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Page 4: Time to talk more Georgia, Less Russia

Anna Matveeva 111

the breakdown of an empire. In fact,many challenges outlined in the book,including an uneasy relationship witha former colonial master, are akin tothose experienced in Africa and theGreater Middle East after the end of thecolonial era.

This would be worth consideringwhile discussing policies of Westerngovernments and multilateral institu-tions towards Georgia, such as main-taining the country's food security,acting on its unresolved conflicts andassisting with the development of itssecurity sector. Helly and Gogia do notgive much credit to the "internationalcommunity" for its role in Georgia,despite the fact that the country issecond in the world in terms of officialUS per capita aid, the only one in thepost-Soviet space with the deploymentof UN military observers and an OSCEmission, the largest after Kosovo. Theauthors describe the US and Europe'scontributions to peace processes as

"unsuccessful" (p. 281). Arguably, it istoo harsh to judge external actors fornot resolving Georgia's conflicts if theparties themselves are not interested inmaking hard choices. Their chapter onthe "Georgian Security and the Role ofthe West" contains recommendationson "what the West should do" (pp. 299-305).

Overall, the book covers a traditionalagenda with regard to Georgia, dedicat-ing little attention to newer and moredirect security issues — individual safety,organised crime, spillover of instabilityfrom North Caucasian republics (theissue of Pankisi Valley is discussed as apoint in Russia's policy rather than as asecurity complex between two parts ofthe Caucasus) and internal dynamics inthe breakaway territories of Abkhaziaand South Ossetia. As such, it presentsthe existing knowledge in a differentfashion, but hardly opens new vistas forresearch and ventures into controversialthemes and ideas.

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