What is the Real Aim of Georgia's PM's Visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia

• 09.06.2016, 18:20
• Narek Minasyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  Armenia

On September 5, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili with his delegation made an official visit to Armenia. In the framework of his visit Kvirikashvili met with the RA President Serzh Sargsyan and his counterpart Hovik Abrahamyan. The sides discussed issues of mutual interest and no vital progress in the bilateral relations was expected, as the aim of the visit was quite different.

Kvirikashvili’s visit should be seen in the context of the Parliamentary election campaign that kicked off in Georgia.  Taking into consideration the diversity of the ethnic composition of Georgian population, in particular, the existence of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities, during the election campaign all the political elites in the history of independent Georgia has always tried to attract representatives of these communities, and the visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan is seen as one of the steps towards the goal.

The Georgian authorities are actually committed to this "tradition." This is proved also by the fact that about a week before the visit to Armenia (August 31), Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who heads the electoral list of the "Georgian Dream" party made a one-day official visit to Baku meeting with the Azerbaijani authorities.

Neither the Armenian, nor Azerbaijani communities in the parliamentary elections in Georgia have a united position on this or that political force. Two communities are involved in the electoral lists of various political parties, as well as they have put their candidacy in different constituencies.

It is notable that in the two largest communities in terms of number- Armenian and Azerbaijani communities, there were some complaints related to the changes in the Election Code of Georgia. In particular it relates to reducing the total number of constituencies, which, according to the members of the communities, reduce the possibility of their representation in Parliament.