Geocase researcher Khatiashvili: Georgia has opportunity to play “important role” in promoting stability, security, peace in South Caucasus

Nikoloz Khatiashvili, the foreign policy researcher of the analytical centre Geocase, on Friday, said Georgia had an opportunity to play an "important role" in promoting stability, security and peace in the South Caucasus region, as well as to strengthen its position as a “regional player”.

Khatiashvili noted that “unfortunately” the ongoing war in Ukraine and the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been an “important” security challenge for the South Caucasus, along with the Russian occupation of Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions, Geocase said in its release.

Khatiashvili pointed out that in the current geopolitical “turbulence”, Georgia had “strategic cooperation” with Turkey and Azerbaijan and “exemplary relations” with Armenia, and added the ties between those three countries and Georgia have been at the “highest level ever”.

This situation creates a unique opportunity for Georgia to become a regional peace promoter, where Tbilisi could be an arena for negotiations and mediation between Armenia and Azerbaijan”, Khatiashvili said.

The researcher also noted that the statement of the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, regarding the format of the Georgia-Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiations, “once again” indicated the “readiness and desire” to activate the mentioned process. 

Khatiashvili emphasised that along with this format on an executive government level, the establishment of parliamentary dialogue could be fruitful, which would contribute to the “inclusiveness and efficiency” of the format.