Speakers:
Irakli Beraia, Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee, Parliament of Georgia
Marina Kaljurand, Chair of EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee, European Parliament
James Appathurai, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political Affairs and Security Policy & Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, NATO
Moderator:
Bruno Lété, Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund of the United States
Georgia has fast-forwarded its aspiration to integrate with the European and Euro-Atlantic community. In less than two decades, the country signed an Association Agreement and Deep & Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union and became an Enhanced Opportunity Partner of NATO. Today this integration is underpinned by numerous avenues of cooperation, such as Georgia’s contributions to the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy or to NATO missions and operations, for instance in Afghanistan.
Looking ahead, the October parliamentary elections in Georgia will be an important opportunity to evaluate the progress of reforms made in light of the country’s EU and NATO membership aspirations. Is Georgia still delivering on structural reforms that promote good governance and the rule of law? Post-election period, what are the next steps for Georgia’s EU and NATO integration? How can the EU and NATO support Georgia in its endeavor? One year after the anti-Kremlin protests in Tbilisi, is Russia’s continued aggression endangering Georgia’s integration with the West?
