Ketevan Hager:

Mister Edward, you are considered to be one of the firm and experienced politician of our period. You had to often leave political arena and then to return to it. In your opinion, how necessary and important is the existence of such fund in Georgia in the conditions of globalization?

Edward Shevardnadze:

Nowadays world is in the process of searching and introduction of new valuables. Termin “globalization” expresses constellation of these new principles and requests response from the mankind  on these challenges by conscience of the corresponding type. What response will we have on these requirements, such place we will have in development and formation of the future world. Any trial to avoid the principles of globalization with the reason of contradiction to this idea according to the protest or any other such sign (for example according to the national sign) is  doomed to failure.  Globalization is of choiceless character. It does not put questions. Globalization enters the life of each man, existence of every nation and leaves us the only one way for expression of own existence and personality – to suit to this universal principle if we want to survive.

Ketevan Hager:

What fate will each of us, each nation have in this process, especially as global challenges become more and more intensive and wide-ranged?

Edward Shevardnadze:

As any outer event, globalization is first of all of structural character. What is meant in this structure? First of all the fact that we (individuals, nations) are subjects of global character and universal valuables became integral part of our everyday life. Globalization itself has no morality and nor some aesthetic loading. It offers itself as only one truth. It is not interested in the answer at the question – what fate will have each of us. We should answer this question. Probably it is not doubtful when I say that globalization is phenomenon which came from the outer, objectively. More important here is that as a result of such intrusion each of us is ready for solving of such problems as are global warming, climate’s changes in general,  by planet scale. Understanding of these changes and correspondingly, struggle with them also turned into nowadays priority, but climate changes, as though as other challenges of globalization (scientific-technical progress, bioengineering – biotechnology, nanotechnologies, cyberspace etc) requests such complex approach, when there will be provided as social-economical, so culturological or ethical aspects of society. Such complex approach acquires special importance in cases of small countries and small nations.

Ketevan Hager:

On the background of tensioning of global interests the shadowing of local interests are clear.  But we can not escape from the fact that overvalue of interests happens in favour of global.

Edward Shevardnadze:

It is universally known that first victim of globalization are small nations. If we make parallel with the second victim of globalization, with nature, we will see that in flora and fauna the processes called degeneration – disappearance of increasing number of plants and animals, have been realizing for a long time. Actively the same is threatened to the nations and national cultures. It is known that annually  a lot of languages dissappear on the planet and this process does not become slow, but is realized quicker and quicker. And if today it concerns such languages about existence of which we know so little, tomorrow it will concern such country as Georgia. I mean that if by international legislation many actions are realized today in order to protect, rescue and in frequent cases to even restore this or that rare species of flora and fauna, so natural is to hear the question about the uniqueness of nations, languages and cultures. If the world is not fixed on this problem and does not make corresponding conclusions, all these will return to it like a boomerang. By this it will make doubtful the question of its own existence – non-existence. According to the well-known metaphor, if we break one cell on the chess board, the game will become complicated, and the break of some cells will make the game impossible at all. The question here arises so: take care of your own language, culture, identity and let us save the world’s civilization by this way. The event examined from such point of view gives us the right to more bravely approach to the solving of that national problem which is connected to the uniqueness of the nation. So it is necessary to work out such mechanism which will give us an ability to realize the above-mentioned conception. Such mechanism should mean the principles of stability and “sustainable development”.

Ketevan Hager:

What does the sustainable development mean? Often this termin is associated with ecology or is the carrier of such general character that its concrete realization becomes impossible?

Edward Shevardnadze:

Nowadays world, environment, environmental safety and development of attendant technologies are expressed by the termin “sustainable development”. Although in it there is less or not meant at all the social, cultural, national characteristics. And without such understanding of the question, as I deeply beleive, problem solving is deemed to failure. “Sustainable development” means or, more exactly, should mean the activity of such kind as are, from one part, development of renewable energy and corresponding technologies, and from the other part, that environment where these technologies, i.e. concrete society, concrete cultural and ethnical environment, should be introduced. If we wish that the idea of sustainable development will have a future, both aspects of the question should have similar loading and meaning. Such complex approach of sustainable development is not necessary only for society in general, but it also will assist to the development of these techologies, because they, technologies, are loaded by concrete social meaning and the fact in what society their realization will happen, acquires totally decisive meaning.

Ketevan Hager:

As practice shows, “sustainable development” is more scientific and political termin, mechanisms of realization of which are not understand systematically.

Edward Shevardnadze:

It is known that “sustainable development” means introduction of newest technologies. And this is connected with the development of theoretic knowledge, in general – of scientific opinion and its rise on the new height. So that the scientific base in society, country significantly defines successful introduction of these technologies into the life. So, the role of science one-two times increases in the new reality. Increasing and assistance of science’s role is necessary for complete realization of principles of “sustainable development”. One more question is connected to the same problem. This is development of fundamental science. Fundamental sciences are so important for the sustainable development as the above-mentioned social environment. They create not only hight theoretic knowledge, but without them new technologies will not see the day-light at all. If before from fundamental science up to practice there was necessary tens or more years, today, from the scientific-technical progress, this period is often reduced to some years and tomorrow will be reduced even more. Sustainable development, based on the quick introduction of new technologies into the life, aslo imperatively requires the development of fundamental science. In the case of small nations, fundamental scientific knowledge is so important for the nation’s individuality, as its language and culture.

Ketevan Hager:

You touched the question of sustainable power system. How important is it in the concept of sustainable development?

Edward Shevardnadze:

Importance of sustainability in the nowadays world is immeasurably large. Practically it includes all spheres of being and life. And all the same, sustainable development first of all means renewable energy and correspondingly, renewed technologies, and this, from its part, will be the basic element of environmental protection and its safety in the future. And if traditional power system is initial point of everyday activity of the man, then, in the close future, it will be replaced by renewable energy. So renewable energy will be the motive force of sustainable development. It may be bravely said that that model of sustainable development about which we are discussing here (here is meant from one part, renewable energy and corresponding technologies and from other part, integrity of social-economical, cultural and ethnic elements),  may be the basis for development of countries, regions, nations and society in general.

Ketevan Hager:

In this case, what will be the possibility of safe existence of global and local interests?

Edward Shevardnadze:

All states, all regions may have their own model of sustainability. From this part, sustainability necessarily means such commandments and categories, as are: peace, democracy, justice etc. Within conditions of sustainable development they will acquire new loadings in essence. Their main characteristic will be harmonization of global and local, universal and ethnical. Humanization of globalization passes through the principles of sustainable development. With this, sustainable development because of its universality may turn into the regulating mechanism between nations and states. The task of each man, each state or nation is to support this process and by such a way to establish its own place in the future world.

Ketevan Hager:

And finally, in Georgia there was created international fund of sustainable development. How do you evaluate this event and what do you wish to the new-founded fund?

Edward Shevardnadze:

Because I know their charter and specialists who work in this sphere in Georgia, I am sure that the fund will try to base exactly these principles. I would wish to this Fund that its main task would be proceeding of such model of sustainable development which will support the development of self-identity in globalization process. In the region this fund will give the stimulus for spreading and basing of the above-mentioned principles in south Caucasus and nearby regions. Fund will collaborate with all interested scientific organization and scientists and will not only reveal the researches realized within the region scale, but also take care for their practical introduction. I hope that this idea will be successful not only in region, but at international level.