At the international high-level conference “Neutrality from Different Perspectives: Between Tradition and Pragmatism,” organized by the Geneva Center for Neutrality and the Institute for Global Negotiation in Bern on May 6, one of the evening’s most direct and politically candid interventions came from H.E. Shota Getsadze, Ambassador of Georgia to Switzerland.

Invited to present Georgia’s perspective on neutrality in one of Europe’s most fragile security environments, Ambassador Getsadze delivered not a traditional diplomatic statement, but an unusually honest and pragmatic reflection on sovereignty, war, economic survival, and what neutrality means when a country lives with occupation, regional instability, and permanent geopolitical pressure.

“When I was invited to participate in this conference, I asked myself a simple question: Should I speak nicely… or should I speak the truth?  I decided to speak the truth. We have just listened to our colleagues from Switzerland and Austria speaking about neutrality. And let me say something very openly: you are neutral because you are strong. You are strong politically. You are strong economically. You are rich. And perhaps even more importantly - your neighborhood allows you to be neutral. For countries like Georgia, things are very different. For us, neutrality or in Georgian case - strategic pragmatism - is not theory. It is survival.  Georgia is located in one of the most difficult geopolitical regions in the world. Around us there is not one war - around us, there are wars. The situation is volatile. The situation is unstable. And twenty percent of our territory remains occupied by Russia. This is not political rhetoric. This is our daily reality.

And yet, despite this reality, Georgia has a very clear foreign policy. Our direction is Western. We want to become part of the European Union. We want deeper Euro-Atlantic integration. This is our strategic choice. But we pursue this objective with caution. With flexibility. And with pragmatism. Georgia does not claim neutrality in the classical Swiss or Austrian sense. I would call our approach pragmatic neutrality.  Our strategic orientation is Western. But our execution must be pragmatic, because our region does not forgive political mistakes.  Our foreign policy is built on three pillars: European integration. Sovereignty. And peace.

Peace is not just a political slogan for Georgia. Peace is national necessity. We seek the restoration of our territorial integrity only through peaceful means. War is excluded for us. Escalation is excluded for us.  That is why we continue to participate in the Geneva International Discussions. Four times every year, here in Geneva, together with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Union, the Russian Federation, and the United States, we discuss how to restore our territorial integrity peacefully. Not through war. But through diplomacy. This is one of the main pillars of our policy. 

At the same time, we seek to avoid escalation with our neighbors wherever possible. Today Georgia has no diplomatic relations with Russia. But yes - we have trade. And let me say this honestly: without economic relations, survival in our region would be extremely difficult. Not only Georgia, many European countries still trade with Russia. Many buy Russian gas and oil. This is reality.  When Georgia was asked to introduce bilateral sanctions against Russia, we refused. Why? For one simple pragmatic reason: the damage to Russia’s economy would have been approximately 0.3%. The damage to Georgia’s economy could have reached 18 %. What would be the strategic logic of such a decision? We follow European sanctions. But our national economic survival must also be protected.  And this pragmatic policy works.

Why do I say it works? Because despite wars around us - Georgia has peace. Despite instability around us - Georgia has growth. Last year our economy grew by 7.5% GDP. In the first months of this year, growth reached over 8%. Why? Because Georgia is open, stable, predictable. Because investors trust our country.  We have one of the most attractive tax and business environments in the region. Minimal bureaucracy. Fast administration - you can open a company in one hour; you can receive official documents in minutes. This is not theory; this is state policy. International investment continues to enter Georgia. Recently, Eagle Hills from the United Arab Emirates signed a six-billion-dollar investment agreement with Georgia and has already opened an office in Tbilisi. Only recently, I also met representatives of a Swiss real estate company interested in investing in Georgia. Why? Because of peace, stability and pragmatism.

Georgia is also becoming a strategic bridge between Europe and Asia. We are investing in major infrastructure projects: the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, the Black Sea submarine cable, new airports, new highways and transport corridors. Our goal is simple: to make the South Caucasus a region of connection - not confrontation. To conclude – Georgia remains committed to Europe, sovereignty, and peace, and Georgia’s experience shows that in today’s world, strategic clarity and tactical pragmatism are not contradictions, they are complements”.