On May 31, 2013 in Tallinn, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats of the European Parliament held a conference—entitled “Georgia on its Way to Europe”—on recent developments and reforms in Georgia. The forum was moderated by ICDS Research Fellow Hannes Hanso, who in his remarks stressed the importance of Estonia’s support for Georgia’s European and NATO membership aspirations.
On May 31, 2013 in Tallinn, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats of the European Parliament held a conference—entitled “Georgia on its Way to Europe”—on recent developments and reforms in Georgia. The forum was moderated by ICDS Research Fellow Hannes Hanso, who in his remarks stressed the importance of Estonia’s support for Georgia’s European and NATO membership aspirations.
31.05.2013
On May 31, 2013 in Tallinn, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats of the European Parliament held a conference—entitled “Georgia on its Way to Europe”—on recent developments and reforms in Georgia. The forum was moderated by ICDS Research Fellow Hannes Hanso, who in his remarks stressed the importance of Estonia’s support for Georgia’s European and NATO membership aspirations.
The internal level of democratic development, the rule of law, and the security situation in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia shaped the agenda of the conference discussion. A country with an “unpredictable past”, Georgia is troubled by post-electoral challenges in resolving its political cohabitation, and faces an “unpredictable future” after the victory of the Georgian Dream coalition led by Bidzina Ivanishvili in October 2012. OSCE Senior Adviser Kaupo Kand attributed this high level of unpredictability to the polarization of the current political situation in the country. According to Dr Marina Muskhelishvili, Head of the Centre for Social Studies in Tbilisi, the new government needs to address multiple problems in internal affairs, such as agricultural, educational, and health care reforms as well as the ongoing struggle with corruption. Nonetheless, conference participants acknowledged that the forthcoming Vilnius Summit on the EU’s Eastern Partnership was a milestone in Georgia’s path towards greater Euro-Atlantic integration.