Jeffrey Sachs says Europe is “blatantly” interfering in Georgia’s internal affairs, linking it to opposition to transparency law

Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development, on Wednesday claimed that Europe and the United States were seeking to use Georgia in pursuit of their own geopolitical interests.

In an interview with Imedi TV, the host noted that political dialogue between Brussels and Georgia has been suspended. The European Union has criticized Georgia, arguing that democracy in the country has weakened, and questioned why Georgia is being “punished” and whether the EU is ready to accept new members.

In response, Sachs said that the European Union wants to see political forces in the Georgian government that would follow its instructions.

“They are fighting Georgia because you are on the Black Sea coast. In 2008, when the United States was trying to expand NATO, no one mentioned Azerbaijan, Armenia, the conversation was about Georgia, why? Because there was an American plan to encircle Russia in the Black Sea region. Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia would create a barrier and encircle Russia. The Russians are not stupid, they understood what they were dealing with. This was already the second attempt. In 1853, the British and the French had the same idea, I mean the Crimean War. Why did the Crimean War of 1853 happen? Because the British wanted to push Russia out of the Black Sea, that was why the siege of Sevastopol happened. When Russia lost, we saw two interesting events; according to the peace treaty of 1856, Russia was obliged to disband the Black Sea Fleet, this was Geopolitics”, Sachs said.

“The United States is playing exactly the same game, a game that is impossible to win, and that is why I say that Georgia will never become a member of NATO, because Russia will not allow it. Russia understands the game very well. The second interesting detail is that in 1856, after the fall of Sevastopol, after the surrender of Russia, British Prime Minister Palmerston aimed at the Caucasus, and Napoleon III replied that they should go to war, and that is how it ended. But the British said that they should send a fleet to Georgia, because Britain had an imperial idea. This was a battle of empires”, he continued.

Sachs stressed that Georgia was in this special role because of its special location.

“You are more important to Europe and the United States geographically than Azerbaijan or Armenia. You are a Black Sea state. This does not mean that you are important to them in depth. Europe and the United States are using you for their own in favor of geopolitical interests. Why is Europe fighting you so much? Because they want to bring to power a Government that will support NATO, a vulnerable Government that will follow their will”, he added.

Sachs further claimed that Europe was interfering very blatantly in Georgia’s internal affairs, that was why they hated the transparency law.

“I must admit that this is the right law, because these NGOs are not really NGOs. They are governmental organisations, I know this because I have been dealing with them for 30 years. It is through them that the United States and the European Union interfere in the affairs of other states. I do not like this, I want Georgia to be sovereign, safe, secure, free from Brussels interference”, he noted.

“Brussels is far away, who gave them the right to dictate your mind, this is unacceptable. I believe that we are dealing with a big game, but the reason why they are targeting Georgia is your strategic location. You are part of a plan, a plan that involves encircling Russia in the Black Sea”, he concluded.