Political culture – the case of Georgia

When Josep Borell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, visited Georgia for political consultations in the beginning of September, he took a scheduled flight and was waiting in a queue together with other passengers. When Irakli Garibashvili, Georgian Prime Minister, travelled to the US in August with his son who was starting his academic year at the University of Pennsylvania, he was using a government airplane that was taking him to Munich and was waiting there for his return from the US.
Bringing a country closer to the EU means not only implementing judicial reforms, decreasing the influence of oligarchs on politics or tackling political polarization but also aligning your foreign policy with the EU’s (not only Hungary’s) and behaving the way European politicians are expected to behave. Especially if you are a Prime Minister. Though it seems to be a question of political culture and as such it is not one of the Copenhagen criteria, still – it matters a lot. 

Humanitarian aid reaches Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh
In mid-September, Karabakh-Armenian de-facto authorities announced their agreement to the Russian Red Cross transporting aid to Nagorno-Karabakh through the Agdam road, which links Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan. Local de-facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh have confirmed the arrival of the humanitarian aid trucks via Agdam claiming that in parallel to the opening of the Agdam road, an agreement was reached to allow Russian troops and the International Red Cross to resume their transport of aid via the Lachin Corridor. Azerbaijan has so far refrained from lifting its blockade.

Changes in Armenian de-facto leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh

10 days after his predecessor Arayik Harutyunyan announced his resignation, Samvel Shahramanyan was elected the new "President" of the non-recognized de-facto state "Republic of Artsakh" in Nagorno-Karabakh on 10 September. Harutyunyan stated that the Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh require new leadership to address the humanitarian crisis more effectively. The replacement of Harutyunyan, who was considered an ally of Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan, with Shahramanyan, who is believed to be backed by the pro-Russian camp of oligarch Ruben Vardanyan, further indicates Armenia’s waning influence on the de-facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

Antagonizing Moscow, Armenia continues its shift in foreign policy orientation towards the West

Several small, yet symbolic events indicate the tensions between the formal allies Armenia and Russia. On 3 September, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated Armenia's policy of solely relying on Russia to guarantee its security was a "strategic mistake" because Moscow has been unable to deliver and is in the process of winding down its role in the wider region. Three days later, Anna Hakobyan, the Prime Minister's wife, attended the third summit of First Ladies and First Gentlemen on the invitation of the wife of the Ukrainian President, Olena Zelenska, in Kyiv. On 11 September, a ten-day joint military exercise, "Eagle Partner 2023", started in Yerevan, involving 85 American and 175 Armenian soldiers. Yerevan's Defense Ministry announced that the troops will practice joint peacekeeping operations. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov strongly condemned the Armenian government's decision, calling the US an "aggressive NATO country." 

Government launches impeachment procedures against President Zourabichvili
In the first week of September, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili travelled to Europe on her own budget, without the necessary permission from the government, and met with German President Steinmeier, French President Macron and European Council President Michel, among others. She said the series of foreign visits to European cities aimed to fulfil her “highest and foremost” obligation as President - to promote the country's European integration. The ruling "Georgian Dream" party accuses the president of violating the constitution, according to which it is the government that is defining the foreign policy of Georgia. Georgian Dream further initiated an impeachment procedure on 1 September. However, a successful impeachment is unlikely, as It requires the support of 100 MPs, for which the "Georgian Dream" would need support from the opposition.

EU officials comment on the Georgian candidate status perspective

The Georgian government was notably not invited to an informal EU enlargement summit in Greece on 21 August, which was attended by the leaders of Ukraine, Moldova and all Western Balkan states. President Charles Michel on 28 August reiterated his expectation that Georgian EU-integration should be "back on the table" of discussion in the next EU Council meetings, suggesting that countries that have been granted EU membership perspective, which includes Georgia, should be called "future member states". Additionally, on 7 September, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, visited Georgia and expressed that "Georgia unquestionably belongs to the European family."

A concert by the American rock band The Killers in Batumi turned into a scandal

On 15 August, a concert by the American rock band The Killers in Batumi turned into a scandal. Lead singer Brandon Flowers was met with boos from the audience after he brought a Russian drummer on stage, allowed him to play the drums, and referred to him as a "brother." Flowers conveyed to the crowd that they were all "brothers and sisters". Flowers' words were met with resentment, resulting in a significant portion of the audience leaving the concert before its conclusion. Following the incident, the band issued an apology, claiming it was not their intention to offend the Georgian people. 

Land borders remain closed, causing irritation among citizens
On 23 August, a group of more than one thousand Georgian citizens of Azerbaijani ethnicity, mainly living in the border regions on the Georgian side, sent an appeal to President Aliyev, calling for the reopening of the land borders of Azerbaijan, they emphasised the close family ties that bind Azerbaijani-Georgians and Georgian-Azerbaijanis, and the hardships they face as a result of the border closures. They called on the Azerbaijani government not to rely solely on air transport via Baku and stressed that a significant number of people are unable to travel by air for financial or health reasons. With the exception of the small border between Turkey and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, all land borders of Azerbaijan have been closed for individual transit since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. 

Three opposition parties allowed to register
On 9 September, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Justice approved the registration of three opposition parties, People's Front, Musavat, and Republican Alternative, which had previously been denied registration as a response to a new and stringent law that came into effect at the beginning of 2023. To regain their status, these parties were required to provide lists containing a minimum of 5,000 members along with their identification details. While some independent forces criticized the opposition for complying with this law, the leaders of the three parties considered the registration an achievement.

Regional diplomatic initiatives help to ease tensions
The imminent threat of a new war between Azerbaijan and Armenien loomed in the beginning of September when Azerbaijani social media reported a military buildup at the border to Armenia and the rhethoric in Azerbaijani state media became suspiciously bellicose. Regional diplomatic efforts - a phone call between Turkish president Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan, and a visit of a delegation of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces to Baku - seemed to have helped to ease the tensions and underlined that none of the southern neighbours, neither Turkey nor Iran, are currently interested in an outbreak of new hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia.