Georgian FM: Charter with U.S. Hits Russia’s Goals

The FINANCIAL — According to Civil Georgia, Russia will be “irritated” by the U.S.-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership, because the document is yet another blow for the Russia’s goal to turn Georgia into a source of “instability,” “grey zone” and into “area of lawlessness,” Grigol Vashadze, the Georgian foreign minister, said on January 12.

“This Charter, as you understand, is yet another nail in the coffin, which will burry Russia’s goals it wanted to carry out during the August [war],” Vashadze said at a joint news conference with visiting Swiss Foreign Minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey.

In remarks with the Georgian journalists in Washington after signing the Charter on January 9, Vashadze said that Moscow would of course “have a sharp reaction,” but it should not become a reason for Georgia “to close up the country and then to take key to Moscow and run to Russia any time when we want to make an important decisions.”