former advisor to Prime MinisterExclusive interview with Lincoln Mitchell,

Prime Minister’s former advisor speaks about the future of Abkhazia and so-called South Ossetia. He also forecasts Mikheil Saakashvili’s possible future and declares that for fighting the ‘National Movement’ possesses only two weapons.
Q. – Human rights’ defender Irakli Kakabadze says that since you became head of Ivanishvili’s lobbyist company, in USA more than one article against the new authorities was published in the western press and according to him, this is due to your inability…
A. – Irakli is a strange man. We used to be friends earlier… he didn’t make headlines in US and I guess he’s trying to do it in Georgia. I’m not working for Ivanishvili anymore and besides, I wasn’t a head of his lobbyist company but an informal advisor; thus, critical letters published in the ‘Washington Post’ and the ‘Wall Street Journal’ are by no means my fault. Whatever may Ivanishvili do, in the Senate and American publications there still will be his critics and Misha’s supporters because they will not know what the ‘National Government’ really did.
Q. – Do you think this permanent criticism may harm Georgia’s international image or influence USA-Georgia relations?
A. – America is Georgia’s partner, there are important strategic interests and articles published in press can’t change this. The press and ‘European Peoples’ Party’ are the only two tools left at their disposal.
Q. – Before the elections you compared Georgian democracy to ‘tabaka’ (fried chicken) – ‘National Movement’ flattened democracy like ‘tabaka’ and adjusted it to their own oven… What do you think now?
A. – Saakashvili was persuading the whole world that in Georgia there was a European type of democracy while he was establishing authoritative regime in the country. To say the truth, Georgia has to go a long way to European type of democracy but on the other hand, you are on a right way – Georgian democracy is no more a ‘tabaka’.
Q. – The Premier declared that he will manage to align Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic ambitions with improvement of relations with Russia. Does it seem feasible to you?
A. – For a rather long time Georgia considered Russia to be only the enemy. Now the country is headed by a man at whom they cannot point their finger, they can’t find reason due to which they will not have to take counter steps and improve relations. As for Ivanushvili’s declaration, it’s evident that if Georgia manages to balance relations with Russia, it will have more chance to enter NATO.
Q. –What’s in prospect for our territorial integrity? How realistic is it that Abkhazia and Samachablo will concede even self-declared and puppet independence?
A. – I can tell you for sure – it will be a long-term process where a lot will depend on diplomacy. As for whether Abkhazia and Samachablo will concede their independence, here the medal has a reverse side too – International community will not recognize their independence until Georgia itself changes its position with regard to this issue.
Q. – What do you think about Ivanishvili’s declaration that after presidential elections he’ll leave politics; how can he manage to fulfill the promise in such a short time?
A. – He can indeed leave the post and take upon himself a kind of role of a public figure. But probably, several months won’t be enough to fulfill the promise.
Q. – What can you say about Saakashvili’s future?
A. – After presidential elections, despite his sins, Saakashvili will have a chance to become a lawyer of a well-known International Firm or a representative of an International Organization.
Many in the West still consider him to be builder of ‘beacon of democracy’.