Meetings and Discussions

   

Round-Table in Brussels on Georgia-EU Relations

On September 14, 2004 the Brussels office of East West Institute, under the auspices of the European Neighborhood Policy, organized a round-table discussion on relations between Georgia and the European Union. The round-table participants discussed the growing importance of the South Caucasus region in EU policy. Several speakers presented their opinions on Georgia’s prospects to access EU in the distant future and how should Georgian-EU relations progress. The round-table was moderated by the director of EastWest’s NEAR project, Antje Herrberg. The speakers included: Georgian State Minister for EU Integration, Tamar Beruchashvili; Deputy Director General, DG RELAX, European Commission, Michael Leigh; EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Heikki Talvitie; Director of EU Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Kakha Gogolashvili. The Representatives of the EU institutions, Georgian government, NGOs, embassies and missions based in Brussels participated in the discussions.

During their lectures, speakers underlined EU’s growing interest in the South Caucasus and stressed the significance of reinforcing stability in the region, which is important not only for the three countries of the South Caucasus but also for the European security. Tamar Beruchashvili noted that while Georgia is a European country, the Georgian government has somewhat unrealistic expectations for Georgia’s rapid integration into EU structures, however, she stressed the notable impact of the EU integration prospect on reforms in government institutions and the importance of developing foreign trade with the EU. The speakers mentioned the role of the Rose Revolution in changing Western attitudes toward Georgia and the South Caucasus in general. According to Michael Leigh, there are major opportunities for cooperation between the EU and the South Caucasus on energy issues, on the fight against organized crime and corruption. He also noted the strategic importance of the South Caucasus as a corridor to Afghanistan. European Integration is a process that should be understood as something distinct from formal EU enlargement, however, in Kakha Gogolashvili’s opinion, it should be viewed as an independent good and as a path that may lead, in the far off future, to EU accession. The lectures were followed with further discussion between the speakers and other participants.