Georgia and Its Neighbors

Introduction: The Tyranny of Geography

To understand the strategic calculus of Tbilisi, one must first confront the tyranny of its geography. Georgia is encased by the Greater Caucasus mountains to the north and the Lesser Caucasus to the south—a topographical fortress that has historically served as both a sanctuary and a trap.

The nation shares borders with four states—Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan—and fundamentally distinct civilizations. Its foreign policy is a perpetual high-wire act, attempting to secure sovereignty while navigating the competing imperial memories and modern ambitions of these neighbors.

For the American observer whose geopolitical worldview was forged in the binary certainty of the Cold War, the Republic of Georgia presents a complex, multi-layered challenge. This is not a world of "us versus them," but a multi-polar regional system where alliances are fluid and interests intersect in unexpected ways.

I. Russia: The Imperial Shadow

The defining feature of Georgian national security is the existential threat posed by the Russian Federation. For the target audience accustomed to Cold War dynamics, it is crucial to recognize that for Georgia, the Cold War never truly ended; it merely shifted from an ideological contest to a kinetic struggle for territorial integrity.

Russia views Georgia not as a sovereign equal, but as part of its "Near Abroad"—a sphere of privileged interest where external (Western) influence is considered a hostile intrusion.

The Mechanics of "Hybrid Warfare"

Russia's strategy toward Georgia is the archetype of "hybrid warfare," a doctrine later applied in Ukraine. This approach combines military occupation with economic coercion, disinformation, and political subversion.

"Borderization": The Creeping Occupation

Since the 2008 war, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) troops have engaged in a process known as "borderization." This involves the incremental advancement of razor-wire fences and occupation lines deeper into Georgian-controlled territory, often overnight.

This "creeping occupation" serves multiple purposes:

• Terrorize local farming communities whose land is suddenly on the "wrong side" of the fence
• Destabilize Georgian politics by demonstrating the government's inability to protect citizens
• Physically encroach upon strategic infrastructure, including pipelines and highways

Political Warfare

Moscow actively cultivates anti-Western sentiment through proxy political groups and media outlets. The narrative promoted is that the West is utilizing Georgia as a "second front" against Russia, thereby endangering Georgian lives. This propaganda aims to erode public support for NATO and EU integration by framing neutrality or alignment with Russia as the only path to peace.

II. Turkey: The Western Anchor and Economic Hegemon

If Russia represents the primary security threat, Turkey represents Georgia's indispensable economic lifeline and its physical bridge to the NATO alliance.

Strategic Partnership

Turkey is Georgia's largest trade partner. The relationship is cemented by transnational energy infrastructure, specifically the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (BTE) gas pipeline.

These projects, strongly supported by the United States in the 1990s and 2000s, allow Caspian energy resources to reach European markets via Turkey, bypassing Russia entirely. For Georgia, being a transit state for these pipelines provides both revenue and strategic importance.

Regional Dynamics

Ankara views Georgia as a critical buffer zone and a transit corridor to its Turkic kin in Azerbaijan and Central Asia. However, Turkey's own complex relationship with the West—and its oscillating rapprochement with Russia—complicate matters for Tbilisi.

Turkey advocates for regional platforms like the "3+3" format (Russia, Turkey, Iran + Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), which Georgia treats with extreme caution due to the participation of Russia as an equal stakeholder. From Tbilisi's perspective, any format that normalizes Russian participation risks legitimizing the occupation.

The Adjara Factor

Historically, the southwestern region of Adjara was under Ottoman influence. Today, Turkish investment is ubiquitous in the regional capital of Batumi—from hotels and casinos to retail and construction.

While this has driven economic growth, it also stirs nationalist anxieties among some Georgians regarding Turkey's long-term "soft power" ambitions. The relationship remains firmly positive, but it is not without undercurrents of historical memory.

III. Azerbaijan: The Strategic Energy Ally

Georgia's relationship with Azerbaijan is arguably its most stable and strategic. The two nations are interdependent: Azerbaijan needs Georgia to export its hydrocarbons to the West, and Georgia needs Azerbaijan for its own energy security and transit revenues.

The Strategic Triangle

The Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan trilateral format is the backbone of regional security, conducting joint military exercises and coordinating on critical infrastructure protection. This axis serves as a counterweight to Russian influence and provides Georgia with its most reliable regional partners.

The BTK Railway: The Iron Silk Road

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, completed in 2017, further integrated these economies. This "Iron Silk Road" allows goods to move from China to London via this corridor, bypassing both Russia and Iran.

The railway has taken on new significance since 2022, as sanctions on Russia have redirected trade through the "Middle Corridor" that runs through Azerbaijan and Georgia.

IV. Armenia: The Delicate Balance

Georgia's relationship with Armenia is characterized by pragmatic neutrality. Armenia is a treaty ally of Russia (hosting Russian bases at Gyumri) and has historically had tense relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The Transit Lifeline

With Armenia's borders to the east (Azerbaijan) and west (Turkey) closed due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Georgia serves as Armenia's primary window to the outside world. The majority of Armenia's trade relies on Georgian ports and roads.

This gives Georgia significant leverage but also responsibility. Tbilisi must maintain cordial relations with Yerevan while simultaneously deepening ties with Baku and Ankara—a diplomatic balancing act.

Minority Dynamics

Georgia is home to a significant ethnic Armenian population, concentrated in the southern Javakheti region. Tbilisi is hyper-vigilant about preventing the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict from spilling over into its own territory, where ethnic Armenian and Azeri citizens live in relatively close proximity.

Georgian policy has been to maintain strict neutrality in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict—a position that has become more difficult as the conflict has intensified in recent years.

V. Iran: The Historical Hegemon

Though they do not share a land border, Iran is a formidable historical presence in the Georgian psyche. For centuries, the Persian Empire contested the Caucasus with the Ottomans and Russians. Persian invasions devastated Georgia repeatedly, and the memory of Safavid rule remains culturally significant.

Modern Relations

Today, relations are cordial but constrained by U.S. sanctions. Iran seeks to use Georgia as a transit route to the Black Sea to circumvent its isolation. However, Tbilisi's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and close security ties with the United States limit the depth of this cooperation.

The reimposition of U.S. tariffs and sanctions on Tehran creates secondary risks for Georgian companies, forcing Tbilisi to tread carefully to avoid violating the sanctions regime while maintaining neighborly ties.

Iran's participation in regional formats like the "3+3" is viewed with some ambivalence in Georgia—less threatening than Russian participation, but still complicating Georgia's Western orientation.

Comparative Analysis: Georgia's Regional Relations

The following table summarizes Georgia's relationships with its key neighbors:

Conclusion: The Balancing Act

Georgia's regional position is defined by a fundamental asymmetry: it is a small nation of fewer than four million people surrounded by larger, more powerful neighbors with competing interests. Its foreign policy must simultaneously:

• Resist Russian pressure without provoking military escalation
• Deepen Western integration while managing relationships with non-Western neighbors
• Maintain the Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic partnership while not alienating Armenia
• Leverage its transit position without becoming dependent on any single partner

This balancing act is made more difficult by the Russian occupation of 20% of Georgian territory—a constant reminder that geography, in the Caucasus, remains destiny. Yet Georgia's strategic importance as the sole viable corridor between the Caspian Sea and Europe (bypassing both Russia and Iran) ensures that it cannot be ignored by any major power.

The question for Georgia's future is not whether it will be a player in regional geopolitics, but whether it can leverage its position for genuine sovereignty—or whether it will remain a chessboard on which larger powers play their games.