Lawmakers in Georgia advocate for the need to revise the current national security concept.
In a sharp critique, Georgian opposition lawmakers have declared that the nation's national security strategy is antiquated and ill-equipped to tackle modern threats, especially those emanating from Russia.
Teona Akubardia, deputy head of the Defense and Security Committee, expressed concern about the absence of a government-level strategy document to evaluate and counter national security threats. "We don't have any document like that," she stated to Eurasianet.
The current National Security Concept, penned in 2011, reflects an era marked by different risks than the ones Georgia faces now. Notable events like Russia's annexation of Crimea and full-scale invasion of Ukraine were yet to occur, as were Russia's continuations of its occupation of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia following the 2008 war.
Certain provisions within the Concept require updating. For instance, one clause refers to renewed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, which would allegedly weaken the security of all South Caucasian nations and enhance Russia's political influence in the region. However, Azerbaijan decisively reclaimed the breakaway region last fall.
Other passages reflect a hope for negotiations with Russia, which has become increasingly unrealistic in light of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Russia must be persuaded to undertake a non-aggression obligation vis-à-uje4-a-m Georgia and to observe the norms of international law," reads one clause from the Concept.
In 2020, a former Georgian defense official referred to the Concept as outdated, remarking that it had become obsolete after its adoption in 2011, as the global, regional, and national situations had evolved dramatically.
Although lawmakers have repeatedly raised concerns about revising the Concept, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, their calls have been met with indifference from government leaders, according to Anna Buchukuri, a member of parliament from the opposition "For Georgia" party.
In early 2023, a group of lawmakers, including Buchukuri, Akubardia, and an MP with the opposition "Reform Group," Khatuna Samnidze, invoked a Georgian parliamentary rule to summon Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to discuss the government's national security policies. These lawmakers viewed the ruling Georgian Dream government as an obstacle to updating the security concept, despite discussions about revising it having occurred in various councils since 2021.
Garibashvili used this opportunity to reiterate government talking points about maintaining a delicate balance to avoid antagonizing Russia while navigating the escalating confrontation between Russia and the West.
Georgia finds itself in a precarious position in relation to Russia, which occupies an estimated 20 percent of Georgian territory. Despite lingering fears of renewed Russian aggression, the government has moved back into the Kremlin's orbit as it seeks to pursue a balanced foreign policy that doesn't provoke Moscow.
Opponents of Georgian Dream's anti-Western direction view peace as inconceivable in appeasing Russia. "For Georgian security, being as close as possible with our Western partners, especially the United States and the EU, has always been very important," said Buchukuri, adding that the lack of political will to update Georgia's national security policies directly correlates with its geopolitical shift away from the US and EU.
In recent months, Secretary of State Antony Blinken conducted a comprehensive review of U.S. assistance to Georgia, focusing not only on development aid but also on security agreements. As a result, the Defense Department announced the indefinite postponement of a planned joint military exercise, citing false accusations against the United States and other western entities that pressured Georgia to open a second front against Russia and participate in two coup attempts against the ruling party.
This decision prompted accusations that the government's new course, including the adoption of the 'Russian law,' was a welcome change for the Kremlin. One line from the 2011 National Security Concept seems eerily presient: "The Russian Federation aims to turn Georgia into a failed state, to hinder the realization of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic choice, and to forcibly return Georgia to the Russian political orbit." In terms of the latter two points, it appears that Moscow has accomplished its objective.
- The opposition lawmakers in Georgia have raised concerns about the absence of a current policy to evaluating and countering national security threats, specifically those relating to Russia, as they believe the outdated National Security Concept from 2011 is ill-equipped to address modern threats.
- In the realm of politics, discussions about revising the 2011 National Security Concept have been ongoing since 2021, yet these calls for revisions have reportedly been met with indifference from government leaders.
- In light of Russia's escalating actions and continuous occupation of parts of Georgia, general news and policy-and-legislation debates have emphasized the importance of Georgia maintaining strong ties with Western partners like the United States and the EU, as a means of safeguarding the nation's security and freedom of choice.
