The Foreign Service Journal, December 2011

nomic development. “Greater prosperity, greater sta- bility for Georgia and greater E.U. approximation could stabilize [the country] in a way that the conflict zones of Abkhazia and South Osse- tia would, first of all, want to have more economic links with Georgia that would re-establish people-to- people contact,” said de Waal. • Engaging the secessionists . All four unrecognized statelets could benefit from regular, consistent contacts outside Russia’s orbit with Western governments, nongovern- mental organizations and private-sector partners, all of which can help introduce norms of governance to rid them of their “black hole” reputation. Civil society and media contacts across the frozen conflict borders — for example, increasing contacts between NGOs in Georgia and Abkhazia — have long been identified as possible confidence- building channels but remain un- derdeveloped. Some experts regard the current moment as especially ripe for do- mestic problem-solving, with popu- lations in most of the frozen conflict zones signaling less interest in na- tionalist saber rattling. “When you ask people inMoldova, Georgia, Ar- menia and Azerbaijan what are the critical issues, the secessionist issue comes from the mid- dle of the list,” says Georgetown University’s King. “It’s good in that you don’t have a lot of popular ani- mosity on grabbing territories back. But it’s bad in that there is not a lot of political will to solve it. In some ways that’s both the hope and tragedy of these secessionist zones.” ■ F OCUS These conflict zones present a diplomatic thicket in which issues of national and ethnic identity, ancient territorial grudges, and Russian ambitions are intertwined. D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 61 CHANGE OF ADDRESS Moving? Take AFSA With You! Change your address online at: www.afsa.org/comment.cfm To log in, use your AFSA membership number on the mailing label of your Foreign Service Journal . The number is on the top left corner of the label, right above your name. It may be 2 digits or up to 7 digits. The password is your last name. It is not case sensitive. Or Send change of address to: AFSA Membership Department 2101 E Street NW Washington, DC 20037