Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's administration continues to probe for ways to restore its authority in Abkhazia. A top Georgian government official involved in the peace process says that Tbilisi is pursuing a policy of "pro-active engagement," aiming to create "new opportunities" for a negotiated solution.
A recent report prepared by the International Security Advisory Board, an independent entity devoted to promoting efficient public policy, generally lauds Georgia's efforts to overhaul its national security structure. The report cautions, however, that gains made to date during President Mikheil Saakashvili's administration are not irreversible.
Georgia's Rose Revolution has succeeded in making positive changes in the country's economic and political direction, said panelists at a recent roundtable, convened to evaluate developments in Tbilisi over the past year. But, the panelists indicated, consolidating the gains already made will provide fresh challenges.
Georgia watchers in Washington have worried in recent weeks about the chances for free and fair parliamentary elections in the country on November 2. Of equal concern to some are recent developments in Georgia's energy sector. In what has been described as a "one-two punch," two Russian energy giants have acquired a dominate position in the Georgian market.
Seeking to give his supporters a political boost in Georgia's upcoming parliamentary election, President Eduard Shevardnadze is promoting the notion of "internationalizing" the peacekeeping force in Abkhazia -- a move designed to reduce Russia's influence in the separatist region. The president's efforts, however, have yielded few results.
From the outside, there is little that distinguishes the Krtsanisi military base from other Soviet-era facilities in Georgia, except that there is a small memorial to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks near the entrance. The monument is the only indicator that the Krtsanisi base is home to a two-year $64-million US program to train the core of a modernized Georgian army.
