Conferences and Workshops

   

Conference “NATO Warsaw Summit – Challenges and Expectations”

On 22 June, 2016 the conference “NATO Warsaw Summit – Challenges and Expectations” was held at “Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel”.

NATO-Warsaw Summit is an important cornerstone in the process of defining the path for NATO’s future development. Since last summit in U.K, major challenges has been presented to Euro-Atlantic security system, both on conventional and hybrid dimensions. 

NATO faces the dangers from the side of Russia, which has challenged the post-Cold War peace in Europe, firs during 2008 was with Georgia and, by starting in 2014 it’s the aggression in Ukraine. Moscow’s ongoing occupation of Georgia, as well as seizure and militarization of Crimea have complicated the security picture in the Black Sea region.

The conference aimed to engage representatives of Georgian government, think-tanks, embassies and international organizations accredited in Georgia as well as expert community and young scholars in a discussion on Warsaw Summit 2016 agenda. 

During the conference, the participants discussed the importance of NATO Warsaw Summit 2016 agenda in respect of Black Sea region security, the NATO’s challenges and perspectives in its Eastern borders as well as the NATO’s policy and strategic approach of the new threats and challenges with particular focus on the situation in Eastern Europe and Georgia, current Georgia’s engagement with NATO and further prospects of NATO-Georgia cooperation after the Summit. 

The opening remarks of the conference were made by Ekaterine Metreveli, President of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic Studies, Vasil Sikharulidze, Chairman of Atlantic Council of Georgia, H.E Dumitru Badea, Ambassador of Romania to Georgia, H.E Andrzej Cieszkowski, Ambassador of Poland to Georgia and Kristina Baleišyté, Deputy Head of NATO Liaison Office in Georgia.

The first panel of the conference dedicated to the topic of NATO response to security challenges was chaired by Irakli Menagharishvili, Chairman, Centre for Strategic Studies. The speakers of the panel included: David Bakradze, State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, David Dondua, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Nicholas Berliner, Deputy Head of Mission, U.S Embassy and Michał Miarka, Deputy Director of Security Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. 

During the second panel the issues of Eastern European and Black Sea region security was discussed that was chaired by Vasil Sikharulidze, Chairman, Atlantic Council of Georgia. Tinatin Khidasheli the Minister of Defence of Georgia delivered a speech about the latest achievements in Defence reform ahead to NATO Summit. The speakers of the panel also included - H.E. Zeki Levent Gümrükçü, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Georgia, Ivane Matchavariani, Deputy Secretary, National Security Council of Georgia, Artur Kacprzyk, Polish Institute of International Affair, Tornike Sharashenidze, Professor, Head of International Relations Program, Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA). 

In the end of the conference, the concluding remarks were made by Nodar Kharshiladze, Senior Fellow, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. 

The sessions of the conference were followed by the ardent discussions and Q&A period. 

The conference was organized by the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies and Atlantic Council of Georgia with the support of the Embassies of Poland and Romania and NATO Laison Office in Georgia.