Certainly, this crisis sends a message of utmost urgency to a country still groggy from the oil-boom intoxication of the past eight years: go back to the decentralization and democratization reforms of the 1990s and early 2000s — or face the political, economic and social calamity of the monotowns on a national scale.
This European membership process is the sticking "glue", the strongest soft power incentive for democratization, reforms and solution of open issues and conflicts involving the candidates.
I believe three elements are essential for this purpose: to consolidate the democratic reform in Georgia, to establish good neighbourhood relations in the region and Russia's constructive involvement in this process and, finally, the EU's profound and more active involvement in the actual stabilization and democratization of Georgia and, in general, of the Black Sea region.
No Eurasian country has come so far as Georgia in recent years in terms of democratization and reform.
But the regime does not put in place a process which offers people a political alternative -- democratization, economic reform, modernization.
For all its talk of democratization and reform, George W. Bush's White House went silent on Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddafi's abuse of dissidents once talks began.
Hamzawy, who teaches political science at Cairo University and the American University in Cairo, brings to the program a deep knowledge of Middle East politics and specific expertise on democratization and reform processes in the region.
Rather than seeing further democratization and reform in Turkey, Washington now sees a final nail being placed in the coffin of the military and secular elites that once protected American interests.
"We stress that the Soviet Union can only expect further Western help if it fulfills these conditions and pursues the policy of democratization and reform," Kohl told a press conference.
Turkey boasts the fastest growing and largest economy in the region, and as a result of its own democratization and reform process undertaken, it is uniquely placed to play a decisive role in providing critical assistance and encouragement for the newly emerging governments of the region.
