With the establishment of the CDC, Georgia is promoting the sharing of national experiences and the integration of civil society’s debates and demands into the public discourse. The CDC will support other democratic aspirants in the region by encouraging countries at various stages of integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions to advise and support states outside the Euro-Atlantic sphere. Georgia will continue to support the CDC irrespective of electoral changes in its member states because cooperation in pursuit of reform should remain a fundamental priority for all governments in the region.

Energy Security

Security and energy are inextricably linked in Europe and Asia. The sources and transit routes of energy pipelines are at the center of post-Soviet international politics and development. Every country in Europe faces the challenge of securing reliable energy sources; the monopolization of transit routes and the politicization of prices have great potential to undermine security and stability in the region. The ability to unravel the Gordian knot of energy dependence will be an important determinant of whether the region’s transitional states can achieve lasting independence.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation maintained an artificially low gas price for post-Soviet states. Tethering its former satellites and republics to itself through its network of pipelines, Russia intended to exchange low gas prices for security, allegiance, and a measure of control. As Russia adjusts prices to higher levels, the implications of energy policy for security have never been so clear. Price discrimination and overnight rate hikes by Russia undermine economic stability throughout the region. And natural gas continues to be provided free to the Russian-subsidized breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, impeding conflict resolution efforts by reinforcing the fragile hold on power of these regions’ undemocratic regimes.

A series of explosions in southern Russia on January 22, 2006, targeting pipelines in the province of North Ossetia and an electricity line in Kabardino-Balkaria, left Georgia without gas and plunged the country into darkness during frigid winter conditions. These explosions, which occurred hundreds of kilometers apart in areas under strict Russian control, came at a time of increased pressure from Russian domestic political actors and amid veiled warnings of winter energy disruptions. Although the perpetrators hoped to plunge Georgia into chaos, our government secured reliable energy supplies from our neighbors. Georgia’s energy sector has also been strengthened by privatization, marked improvements in efficient transmission and distribution, and the construction and rehabilitation of new generation capabilities. Nonetheless, the explosions call into question Russia’s ostensible intention to establish itself as a reliable energy supplier to local and European markets.

Europe’s energy vulnerability has forced us all to understand that energy security is integral to national security. Energy security requires that no single supplier can manipulate supply for political purposes. Diversification is thus a common goal of all European energy consumers, and Georgia is uniquely positioned to help achieve this goal. Our geographic location and Western orientation make us an important pillar in a more reliable energy link between Europe and Asia. The recently completed Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline is carrying oil from Azerbaijan across Georgia to a Mediterranean port, the Baku-Supsa pipeline brings oil to a port on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, and the Shah-Deniz pipeline will soon transport gas on a parallel course with the BTC. More transit routes under the Caspian and Black Seas and through Georgia can bypass unstable states and provide Europe with a direct connection to the resources of Central Asia and the Caspian.

Peace and International Security

The January bombings in southern Russia were a stark reminder to all energy-consuming states that we share the same quest for energy security. But the bombings also demonstrated that instability in the North Caucasus is not being contained and underscored the need for a timely and effective peace process to resolve the frozen conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In November 2005, the Georgian government presented a detailed road map for peaceful resolution of the South Ossetia conflict at the Vienna headquarters of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The plan aims to create a lasting and equitable final settlement based on demilitarization, economic rehabilitation, and joint negotiations guaranteeing the political rights and status of South Ossetia. The OSCE-backed plan stipulates immediate and verifiable demilitarization, joint projects to rebuild the economy and infrastructure of South Ossetia, constitutional guarantees providing representation for South Ossetia in governmental institutions, and legal guarantees protecting the heritage of South Ossetia. In line with this proposal, we are making unilateral gestures of reconciliation, such as passing a restitution law that will allow displaced persons to return to their homes and distributing pensions and other funds that have too long been on hold because of the conflict.

Georgia’s integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions complements the pursuit of our national goal of a multi-ethnic, unified, democratic state. Georgia is currently completing the reform targets set by NATO’s Individual Partnership Action Plan, which will be followed by accession to the Membership Action Plan (MAP) in 2006. We aim to fully adopt all MAP provisions by 2008, establishing the basis for the final step: an invitation to join NATO in 2008. And as part of the EU European Neighborhood Policy, Georgia is negotiating an Action Plan to meet benchmarks in the rule of law, border security, free market principles, infrastructure development, and education reform.

The prospect of NATO accession and eventual EU membership were powerful tools for shaping and accelerating reform in Eastern European states, and these institutions are a guiding force in our effort to follow and adopt best practices. Through its participation in the fight against terrorism and such initiatives as the CDC, Georgia is a net exporter of security to the region and beyond.

Conclusion: Beyond the Post-Soviet Past

If democratic principles are to take root where they were once forbidden, countries like Georgia must demonstrate their universal value. Representative elections are not a panacea for the deeper problems of entrenched corruption and economic stagnation. Democratic reforms can deliver only when they are implemented in cooperation with the public and civil society and are reinforced through accountability. This is why reforms in Georgia have achieved rapid results, and this is why we are confident that the future of our nation and the region is bright.