IRELAND:Ambassador urges EU support in opposing Moscow's plans, writes Deaglán de BréadúnPolitical Correspondent
THE RECENT conflict in Georgia arose from Russia's "attempt to re-establish itself as an empire through quite illegal means", a Georgian diplomatic representative said on a visit to Dublin yesterday.
"It's up to Europeans whether they would allow Russia to break down the security architecture that has emerged after the Cold War and this is exactly what is happening," Mr Giorgi Badridze, acting ambassador of Georgia to the UK and Ireland, told a news conference.
"Secondly, it's up to Europeans whether they would allow Russia to actually break this connecting link that Georgia has been providing to Europe, connecting it to the energy resources in the Caspian and Central Asia. This is what has been annoying Russia for a long time," said Mr Badridze, who is based in London.
Praising the EU for its "very strong support to Georgia", he added that "Russia should not be allowed to achieve its main goals in Georgia by these illegal and brutal ways."
He continued: "Georgia should be helped to rebuild its economy, one of the most successful economies. Georgia has had the largest growth rate among non-oil producing countries in recent years.Foreign direct investments have been doubling nearly every year."
Georgia was a "most dynamic young liberal economy and it should be helped to recover after this serious blow that Russia dealt to it".
During his visit Mr Badridze met the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs at Leinster House as well as officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs. He was also in Dublin to attend the launch of the Teliani Valley brand of Georgian wines in Ireland.
In a statement, Mr Badridze said: "Some people, including in the West, think that Georgia is just a breakaway Russian province and even feel guilty that the defeat in the Cold War dispossessed Russia of what was hers."
But "Soviet tyranny" in Georgia had lasted 70 years, whereas Georgia's own history extended over more than 3,000 years.
"The Georgian nation preserved its independence for most of this time and never gave up the idea of freedom, even when it was conquered by other empires. We have been cut off from the rest of Europe for long enough to be forgotten, but not nearly long enough to lose our European identity and values," Mr Badridze added.