Wednesday, June 18 2014

Unfortunately, it is very difficult today to answer the question where European
integration will bring Georgia to, first of all because a very strong country’s
government does not want us to go to the West, Soviet and Georgian pop singer,
actor, scriptwriter Vakhtang Kikabidze says in his interview with ArmInfo.  

 

“Unfortunately, everything depends on the
will of that government, which will decide itself whether to shoot or to pat on
the back. It is necessary, therefore, to be big diplomats. Georgians seek to
join NATO out of bare necessities of life. I was at the scene and saw
everything with my own eyes. People are afraid; they just want to have a
peaceful sleep. They think that NATO will ensure their peace and security”, he
says.

 

In the meantime, Kikabidze thinks that
instead of playing down the fears, Russia increases these fears by exerting
pressure on Ukraine and forcing it to give up the movement towards the West.
“Armenians also seek to join NATO. I know. But you have no way out, your
geopolitical location is far from being good, you have got stuck between two
countries”, he says. Therefore, he thinks that the solution should be
diplomatic and delicate. “We are given birth only once. It was not our fault
that we were born in the Soviet Union. For many years in youth my major thought
was where to get sausages and cheese. It’s enough! I’m sick and tired”, says Kikabidze.   

 

The actor thinks that Georgians have a good
attitude to Armenia and Azerbaijan. “The relations with these neighbors of
Georgia meet my idea of peaceful co-existence of nations. Whatever appearances,
we are Caucasians, and it is a separate house. We have a different mentality.
We are fond of receiving guests. Based on my experience, I should say that
there are nations who do not like guests. There are nations who like guests but
cannot receive guests. It is very important. Therefore, they shouldn’t speak to
us the way they are doing now”, he says.

 

“Nobody can shoot at me. I don’t like
shooting, nor do I like when somebody shoots at me. There is not much of me, as
a matter of fact, and I don’t like when a strong man pressures a weak one, when
a big nation speaks like this with a small one. Armenia and Georgia are ancient
cultures, so, our being few is more a plus than a minus. Now it seems that
Vladimir Putin is trying to restore the Soviet Union. But this is not our way.
I don’t know perhaps he has something different in mind but if he actually
wants to unite our nations under old principles and rules, this will have a
very sad end for us all. This will ruin everything – for there will be no more
sausage costing 2.20 rubles. Those times have gone for ever.”

 

“The current events in Ukraine have shown that this
is not yet possible as there is somebody skillfully orchestrating this process.
None of us can say who exactly is controlling it but there is no doubt that it
is being controlled. By the way, I am also People’s Artist of Ukraine. Today
before coming here, I watched TV and was aggrieved to see what is going on in
that country, what a hostility is being enforced between the Russians and the
Ukrainians. Unfortunately, this is what the man is – once you allow him to do
something, you can no longer stop him. There are people who prefer standing
aloof. But there are also people who you can easily control. Unfortunately,
there are such people,” Kikabidze said.