Survey results: 31% of Georgia supports Eurasian Integration

According to the survey conducted by the Tbilisi branch of National Democratic Institute (NDI), 31% of respondents spoke in favor of Georgia’s accession into the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). 41% of interviewed citizens negatively responded to it. In 2014, only 15 % of respondents were positive with the Georgia’s accession into the Eurasian Union. Based on the survey results, the number of NATO membership supporters in Georgia has reduced to 65%, in comparison with the 72-76% recorded last year. Soso Tsintsadze, political scientist and professor of the Georgian-American University, introduced his opinion over the results of the survey in the interview with «RUSARMINFO». According to him, the absolute majority of the Georgian population has no concept of what constitutes this «mysterious Eurasian Economic Union». At the same time Georgians are now in favor of the normalization of the Russian-Georgian relations in such areas as trade, culture and humanitarian sphere. «Georgians believe that the Russian market, the intensification of Georgian-Russian relations, the human factor, contacts that are currently brought to a minimum — all in varying degrees, will help to improve the economic situation and social background in the country,» the expert explained. Tsintsadze mentions that the Georgian people are very disappointed, since the country isn’t in NATO yet, and the EU integration is still in the clouds. However, the economic situation is getting worse every day, the unemployment is rising. «The lunch time comes every day. The EU and NATO are not the components of the menu, which can feed a family on a daily basis, «said Tsintsadze. Responding to the question in which circumstances the society moods can influence the Georgian leadership on the issue of change of the foreign policy vector, the expert mentioned the following: «The authorities are now in a difficult situation. On the one hand, they adequately assess the situation and are well aware that even if Europe opens a little the door to the European market, at this stage Georgia is not full of those products for which there’s an actual demand in Europe. Thus, the Russian market is more real to us, «he concluded. But on the other hand, according to the expert, the government is under the heavy pressure of the Atlantic forces — the national movement and former ruling party of the country, as well as the Western countries.