The European Union is more than just a union of states. It is a union of values committed to peace, democracy and human rights.
The EU's enlargement policy is an important part of this vision, as it offers the prospect of closer cooperation and integration to countries that want to move closer to the EU. One of these countries is Georgia, which has been associated with the EU since 2016 and has a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU.
But what is the state of EU-Georgia relations today? What are the challenges and opportunities for both sides? And how can citizens get involved and have their say?
These questions and more were addressed at our third and last Citizens' Dialogue in the series "Europe in the Neighbourhood - Let's talk beyond borders" on 19 September 2023 with:
- Nata Koridze: Managing Editor of Civil.ge and former Head of NATO Integration Department at the Georgian State Minister's Office for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
- Marina Kaljurand: Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee
- Dr. Sonja Schiffers: Director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Tbilisi Office - South Caucasus Region
Watch the full recording of the dialogue on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbXKgNBQJ4w
Read the German event report written by our media partner "Treffpunkt Europa": https://www.taurillon.org/georgien-die-eu-es-ist-kompliziert?lang=fr
Visit our website for more information on the speakers and the background of the event: https://www.europa-union.de/buergerdialoge
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Europa-Union on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EuropaUnionDE
The event was organised by Europa-Union Deutschland e.V. in cooperation with the Europe-Georgia Institute. It is funded by the German Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt). The Citizens' Dialogue was moderated by George Melashvilli, director of the Europe-Georgia Institute.