Georgia’s Neutrality: Advocates, Motivations, and Implications

Georgia’s Prime Minister Visits Turkmenistan as “Neutrality” Narrative Gains Ground at Home

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze traveled to Ashgabat on December 11-12 to participate in an international forum commemorating Turkmenistan’s neutrality anniversary. The event also drew attendance from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and other authoritarian leaders from the region, with photographs showing Kobakhidze alongside Putin during the celebrations.

Turkmenistan’s Neutrality Day, observed annually on December 12, marks three decades since the United Nations granted the Central Asian nation neutral status. While this celebration represents a cornerstone of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy, Georgia has no comparable holiday. In fact, Georgia’s constitution explicitly commits the country to seeking membership in NATO and the European Union under Article 78.

However, in recent months, there has been a growing push from political groups aligned with the ruling Georgian Dream party to repeal this constitutional provision. The term “neutrality” has increasingly appeared in political discourse among experts and politicians close to the government, signaling a potential shift in Georgia’s geopolitical orientation.

At the forefront of this movement is a political organization called “Neutral Georgia.” Initially presenting itself as a civic movement, it registered as an official political party on December 1, 2025. One of its founders, Vato Shakarashvili, previously belonged to the ruling Georgian Dream party. Political analysts note this follows a familiar pattern where Georgian Dream creates satellite parties staffed with loyalists to advance controversial anti-Western initiatives while maintaining plausible deniability.

“We must pull the country out of the euro-illusion and work towards neutral status,” the party declared in a December 9 statement. Among its first initiatives was a proposal to hold a referendum on declaring neutrality, with Shakarashvili arguing, “If we want to preserve peace and stability, and achieve an economic breakthrough, development and prosperity in the country, neutrality is essential.”

Another party founder, Bidzina Giorgobiani, has pledged to make neutrality a central campaign promise in the 2028 parliamentary elections, suggesting it would help Georgia restore its territorial integrity and improve relations with neighboring countries – a thinly veiled reference to Russia.

The party’s rhetoric closely mirrors Kremlin propaganda points. It portrays the European Union as “almost completely degraded,” fighting against Christianity and traditional values, and overwhelmed by what they term “LGBT propaganda.” The group has even threatened opposition voters with legal prosecution.

Interestingly, Russian state media have shown relatively little interest in “Neutral Georgia,” with brief mentions appearing mainly on Telegram channels run by pro-war commentators. Vladimir Novikov, head of the pro-Kremlin Institute of CIS Countries, described the party as “merely a tool of the ruling team to blackmail the European Union and NATO.” Similarly, the Telegram channel Kavkazsky Dozor portrayed it as an “instrument of pressure” on Western institutions.

Russian propaganda outlets have instead focused their attention on another Georgian political entity: Solidarity for Peace, led by businessman Mamuka Pipia. Pipia regularly appears on programs hosted by Vladimir Solovyov, Russia’s leading television propagandist. During a November 20 appearance, Pipia suggested Georgia should form a union state with Russia similar to Belarus.

“Georgia faces a choice: continue a confrontational course with Russia or restore historical ties,” Pipia stated, adding that Georgia needs to “replace the political elite” and “overcome the influence of the fifth column acting in the interests of the West.” Solovyov endorsed this view, suggesting Tbilisi and Moscow should start their relationship “with a clean slate.”

The civic movement “United Neutral Georgia,” founded in July 2024, has already demonstrated its influence on government policy. The organization has called for removing Article 78 from Georgia’s constitution and abandoning unconditional EU membership. Several of its initiatives have been adopted by Georgian Dream, including freezing the accounts of seven non-governmental organizations accused of “sabotage” and attempting to organize a coup. These investigations were launched based on statements from Neutral Georgia claiming these NGOs were part of an “agent network.”

In 2023, Vato Shakarashvili demanded a ban on what he termed “LGBT propaganda,” which Georgian Dream implemented in September 2024, further illustrating the close alignment between these ostensibly separate political entities.

As Georgia approaches a critical juncture in its foreign policy orientation, the growing prominence of neutrality rhetoric signals a potential pivot away from its long-standing Western aspirations, raising concerns among Georgia’s traditional allies in Europe and the United States.