Georgian political scientist Vasso Kapanadze does not consider it a surprise that Armenia again voted against the resolution on refugees’ return to Abkhazia and South Ossetia last month at the UN General Assembly.
“All of us know very well that Armenia is Russia’s strategic partner, and this is the reason for Armenia’s position on this issue,” says Vasso Kapanadze.
In 1992-93, more than 250,000 residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia became refugees because of the Russian-Georgian conflict. 26 thousand Georgians received the same fate as a result of the five-day Russian-Georgian war in 2008.
Georgia considers Armenia’s position on the return of refugees as negative , but the political scientist does not rule out that in the near future this issue will become a subject of joint discussion between the two countries’ leaders. According to Vasso Kapanadze, geopolitics is constantly changing and it is impossible to say what kind of developments are expected in Russian-Georgian relations, therefore it is impossible to predict Armenia’s policy on this issue as well.
“A lot will depend on how Mr. Pashinyan and his government will perceive the situation in our region,” he says.
Georgian government tries to give citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia an opportunity to travel EU countries without visa.
The political scientist also does not exclude that if Georgia does not become a member of NATO in the coming years, the foreign policy of the state may be seriously changed.
