Opinion: 'Aliyev–Ivanishvili meeting shows who is in charge in Georgia'
Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili comments on the meeting between Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party. He says no one in Georgia considers Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to be the country’s real decision-maker, so the meeting revealed nothing new to the public.
Khukhashvili argues that by meeting Aliyev, Bidzina Ivanishvili effectively showed Kobakhidze his place. He adds that, in reality, Georgia has not had a genuine prime minister since Georgian Dream came to power, as Bidzina Ivanishvili has always been the one in control.
On 6 April, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev visited Georgia. The main intrigue of the visit was his meeting with Bidzina Ivanishvili, about which little is known beyond what Georgian Dream published — silent footage from Ivanishvili’s residence and a brief, formal statement.
Gia Khukhashvili said:
“The picture is bleak. This figure [Irakli Kobakhidze] looks at his political patron, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and hates him, because he lives in his shadow, cannot escape it and cannot express his own will — so that hatred grows. I would advise Bidzina to be more careful — Kobakhidze might one day ‘raise his hand’ in a moment of rage. He is unstable, and he has reasons for resentment. Imagine being called prime minister while knowing you are nothing.
The meeting between Aliyev and Ivanishvili had a formal, protocol appearance, and it made clear who is in charge in this country. But why was Irakli Kobakhidze trailing behind them? He could have stayed aside, like staff. The problem is not only that the country has moved away from a democratic path towards an authoritarian one — many countries face similar issues. But there, leaders are institutionalised and hold official positions. The leader both makes decisions and takes responsibility. Here, Bidzina has created a model in which he makes decisions but bears no responsibility for them.”
“Ivanishvili has turned Georgia into an offshore company and registered it under a nominal figure. But if you look at the documents, the real owner is someone else. In this case, that nominal figure is Irakli Kobakhidze. Today, Georgia is a political offshore, with a nominal founder, while the real levers of power are in the hands of the man sitting in the ‘Glass Palace’.
Since Georgian Dream came to power, Bidzina Ivanishvili has always been the country’s real ruler, and no prime minister has been genuinely in charge.”
“The world is at a crucial stage, with growing interest in developing the South Caucasus corridor. Georgia and Azerbaijan form an inseparable link, bound by a shared geopolitical role. At the same time, the Azerbaijan–Turkey tandem is seeking to dominate this space alone.
We remember the discussions about the ‘3+3’ format, in which the South Caucasus countries, along with three regional powers — Turkey, Iran and Russia — were expected to assert their interests and redistribute influence in the region. Today, Iran has effectively dropped out of the game, while Russia maintains growing influence over Georgia but has lost leverage in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In this situation, I do not believe the Azerbaijan–Turkey tandem will invite us as partners. We have missed the opportunity to secure dividends. We lack a deep-water port that would increase our value.
Security in the Black Sea remains a major issue for the West. Despite the presence of three NATO member states in the region, Russia still dominates, and none of these countries has the infrastructure needed to balance that dominance.”
Новости в Грузии
