EXTERNAL SECURITY THREATS TO GEORGIA: GEOPOLITICAL, TERRITORIAL, AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

Abstract

National security is one of the fundamental prerequisites for the stable and peaceful development of a modern state. For Georgia, the protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity, economic resilience, and the security of its population represents a major national priority. Georgia's geographical position at the intersection of Europe and Asia has historically made the country strategically important to regional and global powers while simultaneously exposing it to a range of external security challenges.

This article examines the principal external security threats facing Georgia, with particular emphasis on geopolitical pressure, territorial occupation, the military and political role of the Russian Federation, economic vulnerabilities, and the transformation of contemporary security threats. The article argues that Georgia's external security environment is multidimensional and cannot be adequately understood through a traditional military-security framework alone. The continued occupation of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, the presence of Russian military forces, restrictions on freedom of movement, illegal detentions, borderization, economic pressure, and wider geopolitical competition have significant implications for Georgia's sovereignty and long-term development.

At the same time, economic diversification, international cooperation, diplomatic engagement, peaceful conflict-resolution mechanisms, and institutional resilience provide important instruments for reducing Georgia's vulnerabilities. The article concludes that Georgia's long-term security requires a comprehensive strategy combining territorial resilience, economic diversification, democratic institutional development, international cooperation, technological security, and peaceful conflict resolution. Such an approach is essential for protecting Georgia's sovereignty and supporting its sustainable development in an increasingly complex regional and international security environment.