Page 7 - GEORptJun22

2.0 Politics
2.1 South Ossetia referendum on becoming part of Russia
postponed ‘until consultations with Moscow complete’
The de facto president of the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia on May 30 suspended an earlier announced referendum on whether the territory should become part of Russia. The postponement would be in effect until consultations with Moscow were complete, Alan Gagloyev said in a decree.
"Until the completion of consultations, suspend the Decree of the President of the Republic of South Ossetia dated May 13, 2022 'On calling a referendum of the Republic of South Ossetia'," the decree read.
On May 13, Gagloyev announced that a referendum was to be held on July 17. Georgia has denounced the idea of a referendum as unacceptable.
Moscow recognised South Ossetia as well as the Black Sea coastal region of Abkhazia as independent after fighting a war with Georgia in 2008. Russia has provided substantial financial support to the regions and offered Russian citizenship to their inhabitants. It has also deployed thousands of troops to bases set up in the territories.
2.2 EU’s credibility on the line over enlargement
Enlargement is the European Union’s biggest geopolitical instrument, Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos on May 25.
This instrument has been used effectively in the past to support new democracies in Southern and Central Europe and encourage reforms, but the engagement process has flagged in the last decade, leaving most of the Western Balkan states with little hope of joining in the foreseeable future. Three more states – Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – have applied to join in the months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The ability of the EU states to use what Schallenberg described as its main geopolitical tool will be put to the test in June. At the June 23-24 Council meeting, EU member states will decide not only on the three former Soviet states’ candidacy applications, but also on whether two long-standing candidates, Albania and North Macedonia, will be allowed to progress to starting accession negotiations. They will thus have the power to either give hope to the EU’s near neighbours or take it away.
There are already signs that not all of the EU member states may favour giving candidate status to the three new applicants. Ukraine’s candidacy was enthusiastically championed by a number of political leaders from the eastern EU member states, which have consistently been the biggest proponents of enlargement. However, recent statements from French President Emmanuel
7 GEORGIA Country Report June 2022 www.intellinews.com