Petr Yermilin: Shevardnadze goes into hysteric. It could have a beneficial influence upon the consolidation of the Russian position in CIS

At least for the second time while being Georgian president, Eduard Shevardnadze has started to threaten Russia with Georgia's withdrawal from the CIS. It must be remembered the first time this threat was made by the eccentric leader of Georgia was in March of 1999 while giving an interview to a Japanese newspaper. At that time, Shevardnadze’s spokesmen immediately disapproved of this statement by announcing that the president had been wrongly understood. Today, the former member of Political Bureau of the Communist Party’s Central Committee came to the parliament with the proposition to think over two subjects: the possible withdrawal of Georgia from the CIS and Russian peace-keepers’ activities in Abkhazia. Referring to public opinion, Shevardnadze’s spokesman Kakha Imenadze said “In the population and in parliamentary circles, more and more often appeals for withdrawal from the CIS sound motivated, first of all with non-constructive activities of this organization’s representatives in the conflict area.” Therefore, it is clear that this time, the Georgian leader is really serious. Though another question is, that he has not completely calculated all the possible consequences of this step. Recently, the Georgian leader himself admitted that there could be Chechen militants on Georgian territory. This circumstance really could pardon Russia settling scores with the terrorists covered up by the Georgian regime, like the US and Great Britain settling scores today with Talibs. This is why Georgia cannot withdraw from CIS. Though on other hand, this time, the Georgian president should take into account that today’s hysteric could damage him in the first place.