Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidzev, who took office on February 9, in his microblog of the X social network. Nikol Pashinyan expressed hope that the strategic partnership based on common values, friendship and democratic ideas will continue to expand. Armenia and Georgia signed a declaration on that partnership just a few days ago, when Nikol Pashinyan paid a working visit to Georgia.
A day or two after that visit and the signing of the declaration of strategic partnership, it became known that the prime minister is changing in Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili is giving way to Kobakhidze, the head of the Georgian Dream governing party. Both in Georgia and beyond, there is no doubt that this change is the decision of Bidzina Ivanishvili, who returned to active politics, the founder and real leader of the Georgian Dream. Moreover, as it is possible to judge from the logic of realities, as well as from the response of Georgian expert and certain political circles, this change has both internal and external motives.
Was the signing of the strategic declaration with Armenia important, or did it coincide chronologically, so to speak? It is hard to imagine that Ivanishvili was against such a declaration, and Garibashvili signed it secretly or without considering his position. Therefore, in terms of the strategic partnership declaration itself, the change of the Prime Minister of Georgia can hardly significantly change the position and intentions of Georgia. Therefore, if there were thoughts and readiness for practical development, Tbilisi will probably continue it.
The whole question is what will change in Georgia’s politics in a broader sense in terms of foreign affairs, geopolitics, regional politics in that context. The “fate” and perspective of the Armenia-Georgia strategic partnership declaration will be subject to these changes. Does the appointment of Kobakhidzev imply a deepening and intensification of the Euro-Atlantic course, so to speak, or is it the opposite? In recent months, Garibashvili seems to have shown a tendency to “get heavier” in that direction, which caused Ivanishvili risks of violating Georgia’s balance policy, which the prime minister did to neutralize or manage. the change.
By the way, Irakli Kobakhidze stood out for his drier expressions in the Euro-Atlantic direction, in contrast to Gharibashvili, when accusations and remarks were made from that direction against Georgia, particularly that he does not join the sanctions against Russia. This means that the prime ministership of Kobakhidze will imply the transfer of that “dryness” to the behavior of the executive power?
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