Factors guiding the foreign policy of post-Soviet Georgia

After collapse of the USSR in 1991, which deeply affected world history, 15 independent republics emerged. After gaining its second independence in 1991, Georgia faced ethnic, political and economic crises. Russia considered the region as its backyard, and used Georgia's ethnic problems as a tool for long-term oppression and left this newly independent state deal with problem of security. In 2003, the "Rose revolution" took place in Georgia, which supported by USA. Pro-Western and Russian opposed Mikhail Saakashvili came to power. Saakashvili has determined NATO and EU membership as the main priority of the Georgian foreign policy. The global actors, the USA and Russia, have opposite demands from Georgia. In addition, in the EU's energy and in NATO's expansion policy, Georgia is important in terms of its geostrategic location. In this context, protection of Georgia's territorial integrity and stability is important not only for Georgia, also for Turkey. The aim of the study was to determine what were driving factors of Georgia's post-Soviet foreign policy. In this context, author tried to answer the question "What are the factors that guide Georgia's foreign policy" in an academic framework. In the research, framework of realist theory, technically interpretative style, and as method scanning and examination method used. Ethnic problems in Georgia's foreign policy between 1991-2019 influence of the church to state officials, Russia, US, EU, NATO, Turkey all these factors examined in Georgia's foreign policy and came to conclusion that all these factors has important role in Georgia's foreign policy. Keywords: Georgia, Minority rights, Conflict, Abkhazia, South Ossetia