February 6, 2004

EAST OF THE ODER

With a Little Help
From Georgia's Friends

By MIRCEA GEOANA

International leaders gathered recently in Tbilisi, Georgia, for the swearing-in of Mikhail Saakashvili, the newly elected president of a country almost constantly under pressure. In the last decade, Georgia saw a bloodcurdling civil war, a charismatic leader murdered and a president (who had helped to end the Cold War) surviving assassination attempts. It also saw foreign-supported separatist leaders trying to build and maintain influence, hostile planes trespassing the airspace, foreign troops encamped quasi-permanently against Georgia's will, and ineffectual attempts by international organizations to address these problems. Amidst all this, Georgia became one of the poorest post-Soviet nations. Its troubles often catapulted Georgia to the top of negative news in the international media.

Yet throughout this ordeal, Georgia adhered steadfastly to a pro-Western course as the linchpin in the transit of Caspian oil to Europe, a member of the U.S.-led antiterrorism coalition, and an aspirant to close ties with NATO. Georgia also developed (exceptionally, among post-Soviet nations) a vibrant civic and democratic political culture -- and this produced the peaceful Revolution of Roses which heralds a fresh start to the stalled reforms of governance and the economy.

Romania, my country, and Georgia are neighbors across the Black Sea. Georgians look to us as their window to the West. As an incoming member of NATO and candidate for EU membership, Romania -- itself undergoing the transition toward a fully functioning market economics and a maturing democracy -- is well placed geographically and by dint of experience with similar problems to help anchor Georgia to the Euro-Atlantic system.

When I met the newly elected president and the whole legislative and executive leadership in Tbilisi, I was not the only foreign official in town: An American special envoy was there, a British emissary arrived the same day, and the EU's high representative for foreign and security policy came the next day. The international community's desire for stability in Georgia is as just as clear as the challenges to the new leadership are. In the run-up to parliamentary elections due on March 28, Georgia's new leadership needs support and assistance for improving, even slightly, the daily life of the people. This will boost the nation's confidence that democracy and reform are the only way to achieve prosperity and stability.

The European Union can play a unique role in this respect. It has the means and the knowledge to make things happen in a manner that gives everybody confidence in what lies ahead, even if it is obvious that there are still many complicated problems to fix. The EU is best placed to assist in building and consolidating administrative capacities in Georgia, thus strengthening democratic stability. This -- along with internationally assisted economic reforms -- will create more favorable conditions for addressing the sensitive situation in Ajaria and Abkhazia.

Modernization of the political system and constitutional reform focused on establishing proper balances of powers within the state, including in the relations with autonomous entities, is also a key to real transition in Georgia. Therein lies a great opportunity for Europe to uphold its values and interests in Europe's own neighborhood.

Along with the existing, massive support of the U.S., the EU can set Georgia on a steady course toward real economic and institutional transformation, and act in synergy to link this country to the Euro-Atlantic community.

For those who might doubt the viability of a joint effort in Georgia, I would point to the success of just such an effort in Macedonia. Three years ago, when I was the chairman-in-office of the OSCE, I witnessed and assisted Macedonia's steps from the brink of collapse to a stable situation. It is my firm belief that the political accords, ceasefire and ongoing reform process there became possible only because every actor was present and used constant persuasion -- the right mix of pressures and incentives -- on both sides in order to prevent another war in the Balkans. Moreover, the Contact Group, the EU's high representative, NATO's secretary general, and the OSCE's chairman-in-office paid numerous visits to Macedonia and managed to turn around a situation that would have jeopardized Europe's security.

Supporting stability in Georgia, and providing assistance and advice to reformers, would bolster security and economic development beyond Georgia's borders. Success in Georgia will ultimately achieve a new balance between actors in the Black Sea region, so that this area becomes part of an extended Western Europe, with Georgia functioning in its natural role as Europe's strategic and commercial gateway.

A secure and reformed Georgia will in turn help project stability throughout the Caucasus and toward Central Asia. This also means that everyone must acknowledge that the era of zero-sum games is history.

Georgian leaders are keenly interested in learning from Romania's own experience of transition, institution-building and economic reform. We Romanians have fresh memories of the recent time when our country seemed to stray a bit off the reform path. It took us 15 years of hard work, hope, sacrifice and disappointment to prove that we can return to the Western community of values and deserve to join the Western institutional community.

Although we succeeded in many of our goals, we still have a lot of things to do before completing our journey. But from our experience we know what a country at the beginning of the way, needs. Like others, Georgia needs steady friends and good advice, both from those with know-how and resources and from those with recent, similar and relevant experience in the transformation process.

Mr. Geoana is Romania's minister of foreign affairs.