According to the analysis conducted by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research, 45 per cent of surveyed respondents believe that Georgia’s foreign policy course should be pro-Western but keep up relations with Russia. Forty per cent of Georgians believe the country must have only the pro-European Union and the West course.

The same survey reads that six per cent of respondents believe the foreign policy course of Georgia must be pro-Russian, but keep up relations with the European Union. Two per cent support only pro-Russian foreign policy.

Asked whether respondents support or oppose further dialogue with Russia, 36 per cent of Georgians said they fully support keeping up a dialogue with the northern neighbour, 35 per cent “somewhat supported” this idea, 14 per cent strongly oppose and 10 per cent “somewhat oppose” the dialogue.

Eighty-eight per cent of Georgians believe Russia poses the greatest political threat to Georgia and 78 per cent consider Russia to be the greatest economic threat to Georgia.

This survey was conducted on behalf of IRI’s Center for Insights in Survey Research by Dr Rasa Alisauskiene of the public and market research company Baltic Surveys/The Gallup Organization between February 2 and February 26, 2021. The fieldwork was conducted by the Institute of Polling and Marketing. Data was collected using a multistage probability sampling method through in-person, in-home interviews. The sample consists of 1,500 Georgians aged 18+ and eligible to vote. The data was weighted for age, gender, region and settlement size. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 per cent, and the response rate was 75 per cent. This survey was made possible by the support of the American people through the (USAID).