On 28-29 June, 2016 the international conference “The Changing Geopolitics of the Caucasus Region” was held at “Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel”.
The conference was organized by the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies with the financial support of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung(FES).
After the end of the Cold War, Europe and Eurasia are in the midst of profound geopolitical change. Russian actions in Crimea have shattered the vision of “Europe whole and free.” The conflict in eastern Ukraine has cast a long shadow over the former Soviet states still struggling to establish their sovereignty and secure their place in the international system.
The international conference brought experts and policymakers from Europe, Eurasia, Russia, the Middle East and the United States. The official representatives of the EU and NATO were among the conference participants.
The two-day lasting conference consisted of six sessions in general. The speakers and the participants of each panel discussed the following issues: the current situation in the Caucasus region, the impact the impact of the new strategic environment in and around the region on its stability and security. Beside that, the EU and NATO representatives shared some future action plans of the international organizations which are required to ensure the stability of the Caucasus region.
In the framework of the conference the international and Georgian high-ranking representatives assessed the Caucasus region’s key political, economic, and security challenges facing each of the three countries.
In the beginning of the conference the welcoming remarks were made by Ekaterine Metreveli, President of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, Eugene Rumer, Director and Senior Associate, Russia and Eurasia Program (CEIP) and Julia Blaesius, Director, Regional Office South Caucasus (FES).
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Jalagania, the Minister of Defence of Georgia, Tina Khidasheli and the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Tacan Ildem delivered keynote addresses at the conference.