Georgia's Foreign Policy Orientation: The view of the population from an Ethnic Perspective

Abstract

The national interests, which have been formed over centuries and should correspond to the aspirations of the population, are the determining factor of a state's foreign policy orientation. However, the population's perspectives on political issues are never uniform. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct specific sociological studies to determine the extent to which the opinions of different population groups coincide or differ on key foreign policy issues.  In multi-ethnic countries, it is particularly important to approach this issue from an ethnic standpoint because significant differences in this regard can result in acute problems and become a cause for conflict, especially when ethnic minorities are settled closely in regions adjacent to their historical homeland. Given the above, we deemed it necessary to investigate the views of Georgia's population regarding the country's main foreign policy issues from an ethnic perspective. The study was carried out among the Georgian population of Tbilisi and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, the Azerbaijani population of Kvemo Kartli, and the Armenian population of Javakheti. A total of 1200 respondents were interviewed, including 58% Georgians, 25% Azerbaijanis, and 16% Armenians. Based on the conducted research, it can be concluded that a significant portion of Georgia's population is pro-Western and envisions the country's future within Euro-Atlantic structures. Despite this prevailing trend, notable differences exist based on the ethnicity of the respondents. Generally, the ethnic Georgian population exhibits a stronger pro-European stance and is more inclined to be anti-Russian compared to Azerbaijanis and Armenians. If we summarize the results of the conducted research, it can be concluded that the Azerbaijani population of Kvemo Kartli and the Armenian population of Javakheti are less integrated with the Georgian population. A large part of them does not speak the Georgian language and cannot access Georgian sources of information. Therefore, their political vision is often shaped by sources of information in Russian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Turkish. This can lead to views that contradict the national interests of Georgia, as their foreign political orientation may be influenced by the interests of their historical homeland (Azerbaijan or Armenia) rather than Georgia's interests. One of the crucial tasks that the Georgian government and its authorities should undertake is to ensure the extensive integration of ethnic minorities with the majority and promote the attainment of a high level of proficiency in the Georgian language in Kvemo Kartli and Javakheti. This is a vital prerequisite for ethnic minorities to identify themselves as a part of the Georgian nation (in the political sense of the nation, rather than the ethnic one), and to prioritize Georgia's national interests. Achieving this goal is imperative for Georgia to become a truly unified nation-state.