Georgia's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) had no impact on the country's economy, Russian and Georgian experts told RIA Novosti a year after Tbilisi completed the withdrawal process.
The former Soviet states of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine are members of the CIS.
Georgian President Mikhheil Saakashvili announced his country's withdrawal from the regional grouping of ex-Soviet states after the five-day war with Russia in South Ossetia in 2008, during a public speech in the capital Tbilisi.
On August 14, the Georgian parliament voted unanimously to withdraw from the regional organization. The CIS Executive Committee received the official notification on August 18, and Georgia's withdrawal came into effect 12 months later.
Alexander Karavayev, deputy general director at Moscow State University's Center for CIS Studies, said Georgian leadership started preparations to leave the CIS in 2006, following Russia's ban on imports of mineral water and wine from Georgia.
"Then [in 2006] it was decided that Georgia's withdrawal from the Commonwealth was pointless and might damage trade and economic ties not only with Russia, but also with other CIS states. Most of trade ties were pegged to multilateral documents. By 2008 Georgia managed to conclude [bilateral] agreements with these states," he said.
In 2006-2007 trade between Russia and Georgia stood at some $0.5 billion, the expert added.
Andrei Areshev, deputy head of Russia's Strategic Culture Foundation, said that Georgia's withdrawal from CIS was merely to show Georgia's political protest against Russian-dominated organizations in the ex-Soviet space.
"I would like to remind that Russian investors are still present in various segments of the Georgian economy, though this fact is sometimes criticized by nationalistically minded Georgian elite and politicians. Nevertheless, [Russian] investment continues to take place, and I assume that there is no threat to it. The withdrawal from CIS entailed no principal changes," Areshev said.
Georgian political analyst Gela Vasadze said Georgia's withdrawal from CIS "was the least painful issue for Georgia in relations with Russia in the past two years."
"After Georgia's relations with Russia grew worse, the CIS failed to solve any pressing problems. Georgian president's participation in CIS summits was a positive factor in itself, but all [activities] were confined to personal contacts. That's why Georgia barely noticed the withdrawal from CIS," the expert said.
Despite the formal withdrawal from CIS, Georgia remains party to more than 70 international agreements adopted within the framework of the Commonwealth.
MOSCOW, August 17 (RIA Novosti)
