Polls & Research

Most Georgians Perceive Russia as Hostile

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in a former Soviet Republic regard Russia as an enemy, according to a poll published in Kviris Palitra. 94.4 per cent of respondents say they consider Russia as a hostile nation.

Belarus was next on the list with 33.7 per cent, followed by Armenia with 28.1 per cent. Less than five per cent of respondents identified Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan and Iraq as hostile nations.

Georgia was the site of political instability in the last weeks of 2003, after the Georgian Supreme Court partially annulled the results of a parliamentary election. The ensuing crisis led to the resignation of president Eduard Shevardnadze after opposition politicians requested his dismissal over electoral fraud. The country chose former justice minister Mikhail Saakashvili as the new head of state in January 2004.

Following his election, Saakashvili promised to re-gain control over all breakaway Georgian provinces. In May 2004, Georgia forced local ruler Aslan Abashidze out of the Adzhara region. The territorial disputes continue in South Ossetia—which seceded from Georgia in the early 1990s after a civil war—and Abkhazia.

On Mar. 23, Georgia's Foreign Ministry released a statement on the Belarusian presidential election—held on Mar. 19—which read, "International monitors and other democratic organizations were unanimous in their assessment of the elections as undemocratic. They said the elections were not free and fair, and were accompanied by bullying of opposition candidates and their supporters; that the media was biased, and mass rigging was reported at polling stations."

Polling Data

Which two countries do you consider the most hostile to Georgia?
(All mentions)