On October 13, the Atlantic Council and Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Lindsey Graham launched a new Council report, Georgia in the West: A Policy Road Map to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Future.
Three years after the Russia-Georgia war, ambiguity surrounds Georgia’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration as Russia remains in violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended the conflict and has become an occupying force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. US and European leadership is needed now more than ever if Georgia is to succeed in its quest for democracy, prosperity, and Euro-Atlantic integration. The next two years in advance of parliamentary and presidential elections will be a litmus test for Georgian democracy and Western policy. During this critical time, Georgia must demonstrate a firm commitment to democratic principles and advance important political and economic reforms. At a time when Georgia’s future is in play, Washington and Europe must reinvigorate their engagement with Georgia in order to bolster its political, security, and economic future. A policy of “hold close, push hard” premised on a shared commitment to a united, democratic Georgia in NATO and the European Union and backed up by specific initiatives will help secure Georgia’s place in Europe. This is the main message of the Atlantic Council’s new report, Georgia in the West: A Policy Road Map to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Future. The report reflects the findings of the Council’s bipartisan expert Task Force on Georgia, co-chaired by Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Lindsey Graham.
Georgia in the West: A Policy Road Map to Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Future highlights key recommendations for US and European policymakers to strengthen Georgia’s ongoing integration with NATO and the European Union, by offering a clear vision and concrete intermediate benefits as Georgia progresses. The report also offers recommendations for the Georgian government and all sectors of Georgian society to undertake important internal reforms that advance Georgian democracy. The report also lays out strategies to counter Russia’s creeping annexation of the occupied territories and solidify an international commitment to Georgia’s territorial integrity over the long-term.
TRANSCRIPT
VIDEO
Part 1
Part 2
AUDIO (.mp3)
Atlantic Council Programming on Georgia from 2010-2011 (PDF)
MEDIA and BLOG MENTIONS
- New Report: Democratization Will Be Essential to Georgia’s European Integration – National Democratic Institute
- New report on Georgia Released by Atlantic Council Task Force – Open Society Georgia Foundation
- U.S. Ambassador-Designate to Russia Speaks of Georgia – Civil Georgia
- U.S. Senators Recommend Stationing Troops In Georgia – Joshua Kucera, EurasiaNet
- Senators present a road map to Euro-Atlantic structures for Georgia – Rustavi 2
- Atlantic Council: NATO allies should respond to Georgia’s non use-of-force pledge by helping Georgia develop defense plans and purchase defensive arms – The Georgian Times
- Atlantic Council gives recommendations to Georgia – News.Az
- Atlantic Council floats idea of US troops in Georgia – EnerGeoPolitics
- Group of international analysts and Congress members recommended Obama Administration to build upon over a decade of cooperation with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey – Isabel Levine, APA