The two sides have taken uncompromising positions. Moscow is demanding legal guarantees that other foreign states will not establish military bases in Georgia. Tbilisi claims that verbal commitments given by the country's leaders in public should be enough to solve the problem.
Salome Zurabishvili, Georgia's foreign minister, recently reaffirmed that no foreign bases would be established in the country. "The president of Georgia has stated officially, including in the UN, that Georgia would not allow any foreign military bases on its territory after the withdrawal of Russian military from Batumi and Akhalkalaki," she said. Indeed, the minister went on, "[Tbilisi] is prepared to reiterate at the highest level, including in NATO or the EU, its decision not to allow foreign military bases to be established in the country."
On the other hand, Ms. Zurabishvili said, "Russia's proposal that this provision be entered into the new framework Georgia-Russia treaty is not acceptable."
"If we want to establish new neighborly relations between out countries, we should not begin by making such an addition to the treaty, particularly at the request of Russia," she said. "This is not acceptable for many reasons, including the psychological standpoint."
Why is Russian diplomacy being so obstinate on the issue when Georgia is demonstrating such firm commitment? The answer is simple: We remember the experience of the Gorbachev era, when Russia's partners on the world scene made many promises. They assured us that NATO would not expand to the east and that Russia would soon become part of the common European home. The solitary voices of those who said words were not enough and promises should be legally enshrined drowned in a landslide of "pre-emptive concessions."
But the time of such "irresponsible idealism," including in foreign policy, has gone. Russia has overcome the consequences of a protracted economic crisis of 1990s; it is demonstrating sustainable growth and working increasingly confidently to ensure its security and vital national interests on the basis of principles of neighborliness and with due regard for international law.
And Moscow is duly worried about Georgia's unwillingness to legalize its verbal commitments in writing, particularly given the negative experience of promises made in the past.
