Ambassador Yalowitz: Georgia needs active support of EU

The initialing the Association Agreement (AA) with EU after the two democratic elections in a year proves that Georgia decided to become the part of EU and Euro-Atlantic cooperation and share its values, Ambassador of the United States to Georgia in 1998 - 2001 and a U.S. Foreign Service Officer for 36 years Kenneth Yalowitz said in an exclusive interview with Voice of America on December 30.

Calling the AA agreement a historical step for Georgian, Yalowitz believes that Georgia needs an active support of EU on the way to European integration.

On the journalists question, What kind of pressure could Russia use on Georgia to stop the EU integration?, Yalowitz responded that the situation is complicated and Russias pressure will be limited toward the country.

"The Georgian officials express concern that there will be pressure from Russia and I believe that there is need of active EU support for Georgia and Moldova on this case. The Russias pressure on Armenia and Ukraine is the hint of what could Georgia expect from Russia. But Russias pressure will be limited to the country. The installing of the iron fences along the Georgian villages near the occupation line is immoral but it will not encourage the government to step aside the EU integration, said Yalowitz.

"To my opinion it is debility of Russia as they use the real not the soft power (the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce, use force or give money as a means of persuasion) against Georgia. I believe that this is self-defeat. Moreover, the military occupation of South Ossetia (the breakaway region of Georgia) is continued and I dont see an additional mechanism of pressure from Russia, he added.

Yalowitz also noted that Georgia made its decision and got ahead of Ukraine for the EU integration.