That. If it gets it what it. Welcome to the party it took almost a decade for russia and georgia to start normalizing their relations after the 2008. When they keep unfortunate seating arrangements through much of the progress out of the window with the georgians taking to the streets to decry supposes russian aggression and the russians turning off the top on the can all make alterations is they still at a rational way out well to discuss that im now joined by the. Pad of the school of International Relations at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs and previously a Foreign Policy assistant to the Prime Minister of georgia. Its good to talk to you thank you very much for your time. Thank you now despite the difficulties and history between russia and georgia Many Russians still into team de dio this unique georgian hospitality that a guest is a ghast who should be treated with respect regardless of where he or she comes from how could the case of a visiting russian be on the seat he too can department provoke such a crisis in the bilateral relationship and thats a very good question but it was not only rhodes a visit to some obscure russian m. P. Who more actually i never. Had heard of him before and. Actually many of my russian colleagues never heard of him before that georgian public especially Younger Generation got fed up with the well thought of test because i will forward this they failed to is a democratic reforms they failed us Economic Reforms as well and finally is this a result of the mr governor who actually dont blame him personally for anything he was told to take say told the chair of the parliament and thats what he didnt know about thinking that people simply were shocked when they saw a russian communist and let me tell you one thing during the soviet union away georgians in the 1st in the 1st place we had who was cohen is as such a note as such was being proper behavior of the soviet union but coom his regime thats whats actually made always made us very unhappy and when when so russian conus sitting in the chair of the Parliament German parliament of georgia it made people simply mad to know because then everyone realized that this government has failed with everything and now they allow some russian conus to take seat of the chair of the jordan probably the parliament where jordan in independence was actually. Declared mr mr. Let me ask you specifically about that because we are fresh of the g 20 summit in japan where the canadian Prime Minister casually chewed the seat of the russian president but it would be easy on. To suggest that Justin Trudeau is somehow imposing himself on russia im not a psychologist but it seems that there is much there something bigger im denethor all of them oh yes because you know or just. Kind of. They have peaceful relations and in georgia as you might know in no way believe the. Things that our territory part of our territory has been annexed where local pride by russia thats how it is they know and its a young generation who came to the streets this is a generation of the russian georgian war i believe myself for example i believe i belong to the generation of 9 april 1809 when the soviet army to spare space will demonstration in tbilisi and you know thats something that Something Like this happens in your formative years you know then you will become where i want to be counted a tour and now this young generation simply they dont know unfortunately i would say they dont speak russian at all and they are not interested in russian for them russia is a hostile power russia is a state led by a certain element not russian people let me just say thats what i find very ironic about this young generation of georgians that youve been referring to why rallying against these supposed russian interference is that they do themselves by using russia as a factor in that domestic politics theyre doing exactly what they like to accuse dick rahman off well talk about the russian reaction later reach you personally describe this clumsy but 1st of all i want to know if you think the georgians themselves the government decide the Hospitality Industry did they play it smart this whole debacle we differentiate between ordinary russians and and or fish of moscow you might know that nothing Nothing Happened lately to the russian tourists in georgia they still feel safe and secure and say you can see theyre walking in the center of tbilisi. And what the young people did to now and in a way different to their behavior was childish you know they defied opened in russia and russians and the russian government reacted in my opinion very very clumsy clumsy and so to say they did it because they simply do not know russia told they do not care about russia in mean you know if you are so close you are arguing that the kremlin has grossly over the reacted i you prepared to say the same about your compadre its who took to the streets with a fanciful chance with blockades after russia over something that russia has nothing absolutely nothing to do with i agree russia has nothing to do is go real about russia has to do something with a military base which is you know in 40 kilometers from separate them from japan this is capital of georgia for example yes i think yes russian been making this point for us but russian authorities overreacted by this russian authorities this russian government on our side it was ordinary people young generation once again thats not our government thats young generation thats what they doing all the emotions but look if the russian people were to take to the streets here in moscow chanting sexually explicit and sexually offensive slogans about your president. I would expect the leadership of my country to at least say that this is not appropriate and this has nothing to do with a diplomat democratic expression this is basic decency are indeed georgians bound by it when it comes to russia well you know actually i dont see any reason why i would rush why would or new russian chant anything about our president because our president has done harm them in any way as you know but i agree a way across the behavior of our demonstrators have been in a way in a way childish but thats young generation like they almost children know thats it to know what can you expect from them once again there is a generation of the russian georgian war and for the last 70 or so their relations have been normalized that it was. Actually at the same time. There are the russian government has not done absolutely anything to change anything in. The end i understand were aware of that the russian government is not ready to take back who nation owes its territory and stand it very well but the same time was the last 70 or since the Georgian Dream came to power and the Georgian Dream is if the friendliest garmans a russian russia can ever have in the military in my opinion unfortunately the troops have been moving the dividing line the lines that divide south city and the rest of georgia inside our territory why i think it was done at the request of both south and up has and governments being there just as peter with the u. S. As you are with the russians i mean you have you will have to recognize that these people do not want to see the georgian authorities there and it was the case long before the 2008 of war you know that better than me that conflict began all the way back in the ninetys i dont think anyone believes that you know the russian authorities have to listen to the socalled cell society and author of maybe vice versa would be more appropriate. Well a couple of years ago there was an agreement signed by both russian and georgian authorities to you how to meet the creation of trade corridors through these breakaway republics and for the kremlin i think you have to realize that was a big stab there was supposed to be some trade that would be monitored by an independent suisse company that would have been a step forward do you think the georgians have utilized the support units enough as far as i know our government has done its best you know to make this corridor work. The ball is on the russian side as i know i guess the russian side did take that ball and they interpreted the vans recent events in the georgian capital as something very offensive now you previously said that there is absolutely no threat to the russian tourists in beliefs and yet weve seen some videos on you tube all of people in the belief he had rassinier russian family in a car with russian number 75 years ago this video is 5 years old right of the. 2014. When accession of crimea well maybe that media is all but there were also some news about some georgian cafes introducing a surcharge for the russian patches and im sure those incentives are extremely. And i personally dont agree with their policy absolutely but you are not you are now that the president Prime Minister of georgia if you want these incidents to remain isolated wouldnt you expect some authority to come forward and say that Something Like this is not acceptable and i would do it i would do it but i think that now our government is in shock you know theyre in shock and all they care about is to survive as you pointed out russia has actually tried to rebuild its relationship with georgia and i think it kept it primarily to the economic and human side there was very little if any politics involved. Why are those charges of imperialism aggression interference i being rehashed right now when the only thing georgians have been getting from russia flavor is the money of our tourists of our investors all of our consumers with absolutely no political strings attached. Yes i agree but once again let me repeat myself. We feel very positive vote or near russians about tourist but the same time for the last 70 or so russia could not or could at least not to move dividing line into georgian territory for example and at least russia could discuss for example the militarization of this also said here why would russia need a military base in 40 kilometer from to elicit people keep asking these questions georgian government actually has done quite a few goodwill gestures i mean who came to power 7 years ago for example in georgia and dream. Aloud russian t. V. Stations. I broadcast im going territory and system stations they were card you know they want to tell out of a war they dont need to work on the territory 2nd the government actually released the russian Intelligence Officers from georgia in prison in 2013 and georgian government during going to try to participate in such Olympic Games so if you let me tell you if you were to gesture being made on both sides i hope you would agree yes and unfortunately russia has not done anything to change a little bit is taught in school in south city from professor shushan you did those are not the things that you can do discuss with the population those are the things you discuss among the governments and they require a lot of preparation what we are talking about here is the outburst of has some psychological projection as you describe it the frustration with the local government being imposed on to russia you know this is something that the georgian government also had to deal with this is what we are talking about i have no doubt that our bilateral relationship is very complicated but why did the georgian government reach benefited from russian it cannot make out to beach why she didnt do anything to preserve what has built by now. Then shock and they were all they care about the survival in the 1st place and plus you know i think this. I read you know. How much georgia with new russian sanctions and sometimes they look at they come up with fantastic figure of like to be in dollars well. I think georgia will suffer of course some damage but not that much to feel at the end let me tell you one thing in 2006 russia impose sanctions on georgia but it didnt dream georgias that cannot be and you russians you should know that for instance just actually in the end of the day they dont through new because russia now is under the western sanctions ok well Professor Sharon should music hold that thought that we will return bride back to you after a short break. Trumps impromptu visit to the d. M. Z. Separating the 2 koreas was unprecedented and historic indeed it was a bold even brilliant decision of course his political opponents particularly the democrats running for president and the media slammed on orthodox diplomacy is on the side of peace. News down to the contacts used in the wrong way kerry kerry potential like any any psychoactive substances. But used in the right way they seem to have quite a. Profound therapy to potential and quite a good safety as well. Welcome back to worlds apart but. The had of the school of International Relations at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs professor just before the break we started talking about the russian response to events in georgia and i know you you believe that sanctions dont work but i personally think that the kind of measures russia introduced in response to those protests in the threats that it received is nothing of the kind that russia has with the e. U. Or the United States even i think its far more similar to what russia had with turkey in 2015 short term but very abrupt and very painful limits on trade me actually worked well because turkey came about within a couple of months and the 2 countries were able to rebuild their relationship very quickly but with a new sounds of caution do you think thats likely in the case of georgia and the 1st let me tell you one thing. I dont believe that most of the russian tourists visited georgia lately like the last 7 years they will be discouraged now and i think most of them will keep coming to georgia despite the sanctions because they believe the door to a safe place in georgia and they actually love georgia the damage done to georgia economy. Is not going to be that big by point now comparison to. The turkish case i believe i like that turkish government georgian government simply will be unable to make any goodwill gestures now to work moscow because the turkish government they could afford it georgian government simply cannot afford it because. Georgian Public Opinion believes that georgian territory by russia theres a huge difference between turkey and georgia still nevertheless i believe that moderates from the both side millicent moscow i think they could restore what has lost all the. Last 2 weeks i think its still doable. Well according to the judge in the mystery off tourism this whole debacle may cost georgia around 700000000. 00 reach by my own cultivations is roughly 15 percent of the countrys bodges for this year the russian tourists accounted for about a 3rd of all foreign visitors do you think the people who framed russia as an enemy and we heard that not only from the young people you keep referring to but also from the president herself do they understand and acknowledge how much georgia is actually getting out of fresh i dont know i dont know a thing that. They believe that their way on there is more important than money honor is also important for us when he your people chant offense its actually offensive slogans about our president its also stance if regardless of whether you voted for human not you can consider yourself a friend and not come to georgia of course i understand it very well but some russians may still come to georgia if you are no russians come to georgia i believe georgia will survive i would like to have more options coming to georgia because let me tell you one thing for us russian tourists its not in the 1st place about economic benefit its about political benefit the more i come to georgia the more understand that georgia actually can be a very good friend to russia and what has been done they can. Openly support their president separatists in the war between georgia. And one has been done in 2000 and. 8 it was a grave mistakes done by some politicians by physicians i think george is a great country and georgian people are great people but when you speak about mass tourism i think you have to recognize that sure some people who want to go to georgia will still do there and there are no ban on traveling to georgia specifically but that cost much more and mass tourist is far more likely to fine. Ah there are cheaper and less politically sensitive destinations of which there are plenty i mean there is quite a competition for the russian tourist and i think thats why the of the reasons why the russian government is using that to understand i understand but i dont think that it will it is going to ruin Georgia Trust me its not going to happen because the one. Myself again in 2006 march bigger sanctions were imposed on georgia and in 2007 we had 12 per cent of g. D. P. Gross of course we had different government but still its not about ruining georgia nobody wants to ruin georgia are you sad that one of the benefits of the russian tourists coming to george is to see that you know we can actually leave in peace as well in this team goes for russia dont you have to treat it with the same respect that you demand for yourself i mean why is it ok to treat russia like that because i mean to be honest with you there are lots of historic grievances on the russian side with regards to georges well i dont have to remind you that there are many georgian leaders who sent millions of arkan patches to the gulags and yet somehow we dont blame that on georgia but i mean they by little history is very complicated shouldnt really be used like the. Atomic bomb or the soviet to do let me live. Now in russia thats not true according to. Public opinion polls. Stalin was over to the great one of the greatest russian of all times as i mean thats an indication and Many Political scientists interpreted that as an indication of russians striving for about a rule of law rather than striving for. Sanctions or the use of institutional violence so the point the point being short is that we also have grievances towards you dont we deserve from the georgians some basic respect some basic decency i understand but. Do you understand but i mean i dont hear any opinion makers in georgia to make up. And that if if we want to keep Good Relationship productive relationship with russia perhaps we should be framed from using this country in such a way in its own political turmoil and its all domestic politics i understand but has been done by georgian officials that has been done by a young generation who once again unfortunately dont know anything about russia they dont like russia for understandable reasons and for the last 7 years had done anything to change somehow a status quo. That would not have happened trust me so really the opening of the russian market thats whats essentially not enough to win the hearts of the young people you know those young people dont care if some georgia winemaker sell their wine in georgia thats not the point you know the point is territory as well but i mean if the 1st 15 percent of your budget comes from those wind cells that perhaps they should care i mean thats basic economy and somebody who covered the 2008 war from skin bali i can tell you that the georgian behavior there was pretty horrendous as well and we all know how that war started so lets not rehash those same arguments the point is that you keep telling that russia hasnt done much but russia has actually tried to move a have do you think it still makes sense for russia to make any outreach gestures they say in this way you know russia is a great power and i think great power. Has more responsibility. Should be more tolerant and more responsible thats what the dog george w. Bush that. You were saying that george is more democratic than russia there is no competition here as long as you have people like your country and our people like our country i think even you said that i didnt say that in one of your articles you pointed out that there is actually a Silver Lining in this whole debacle that. Georgias current government is actually agreeing to reform. The system more quickly. Had a schedule why is that important thats important for him or her to develop and to not because this electoral system that existed but still exists actually in all the new system has done it hasnt been changed it was pretty unfair it gave for any Warning Party huge advantage and the georgian ram actually they promised to change the system to 40 proportional one back in 2012 because coming to power they need to have been seen almost. Almost every way in the post soviet union of course they did not keep their promise and now they have to. Make this concession there is a popular trope i think in many former soviet republics as well as among some western policymakers that russia is the main hurdle for democratization of the post u. S. S. R. And i think to some extent doctrove was rehashed by the young protesters you keep telling me about that it is russia that is sort of preventing georgia from being about herself i want to ask you if the Current Situation in georgia when you are essentially ruled by a non elected oligarch actually need gave to some extent. I dont blame russia for all the fail or for democratic reforms in georgia differently of course that we would benefit much more in for a show or was a more democratic country thats not to meet before us to decide you know dont you think that perhaps this whole argument about what the russian m. P. Did in the Georgian Parliament i mean isnt it all to me doesnt it doll to me to go down to the question all the georgians filling themselves like of victims of either russian aggression or russian imperialism and one day be able will they be able to move forward without shattering dot kind of victimhood complex some nation. Complex and some nations have you know postimperial complex as you know and i know either that or want to have some. Well the last 2 weeks you know for ma and pa against this form are calling you know and both defender suffering from i think to some for some complex without any provocation from that former colony seriously after everything weve discussed you still hold on to that view what kind of talking about this was young generation and there was no one behinds and definitely not the usa definitely and i was the state department to know as you might know you know im erica has no im just at the end of this ever suggested any American Army and i mean i had never suggested that but i think georgians do you have to take responsibility for for the how own actions and over the last whats happened over the last 2 weeks will come in hard georgians far more than russians and im not saying that with pleasure im saying that with great regret because i think this is a great country and i would laugh more if my people to see your great culture your great people and your great democratic transition to be fair and well let me tell you one thing and now i hope that the with this new proportional system i hope we will elect a much more. Competent government and our policies will be much more comprehensive and it will make sense well if the shares your needs and best of luck with that we have to leave it there but i really appreciate you being with us today and sharing your perspective thank you very much for that thank you i encourage our viewers to keep this conversation going in our social media pages and hope to see you again same place same time here on the worlds apart. For. Live. Live. The full. Length. Live. Live. Live live. Live. Live. Live. Oh. Please. Live. So. Clear. And very well welcome to you youre watching us inside us. A u. S. Navy seal accused of multiple war crimes including a brutal in a combat zone is acquitted by a military court as a key witness claims responsibility for the killing. Protesters in tel aviv calls and throw petrol bombs after an israeli theorem teenager is shot dead by an off duty police officer. 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