Commentary & Analysis

A First for Georgia

By Laura Linderman and Melinda Haring

Replacing the President by the Ballot Box Georgia’s elections and its sometimes tumultuous results are not for the faint of heart. The country will hold a presidential election on October 27 and this election is historic: for the first time in its history, an incumbent president will be replaced through the ballot box and not […]

Five More Years: On the Challenges Facing Azerbaijan’s President

By Sabine Freizer

President Ilham Aliyev is about to start his third mandate in Azerbaijan. Despite some hefty criticism by the main European elections observation mission, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the elections on 9 October were the easy part. Azerbaijan has made impressive economic progress in recent years, Baku’s sparking skyline standing as […]

The New Silk Road Project: A New Strategy?

The Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and the Central Asia Caucasus Institute held a vibrant discussion with Afghanistan’s Central Bank Governor Noorullah Delawari on the new transit and trade infrastructure that is debuting across Eurasia: the New Silk Road. This new commercial architecture aims to support Afghanistan’s economic, political, and security transitions by developing […]

Orban Discusses Central European Energy Security

On October 7, the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Anita Orban, Ambassador-at-Large for Energy Security in the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for an off-the-record roundtable discussion. The event took place as part of Eurasian Energy Futures Initiative. The discussion focused on the future of Central European energy […]

Official Opening of Atlantic Council Istanbul Office

On October 3, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey, Atlantic Council President & CEO Frederick Kempe joined US Consul General to Turkey Charles F. Hunter and Atlantic Council Istanbul Office Director Orhan Taner at a lunch celebrating the official opening of the Atlantic Council’s Istanbul Office. The lunch was attended by several high-level leaders in the government, […]

A Conversation with Alexi Petriashvili, Georgian State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration

On October 2, the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center hosted HE Alexi Petriashvili, Georgian State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration, for an off-the-record roundtable event. The discussion focused on the upcoming presidential elections, Russian-Georgian relations, Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, as well as the challenges and opportunities of signing the European Union Association Agreement. Minister Petriashvili reiterated […]

Discussion with Georgian Presidential Candidate Dr. Davit Bakradze

On September 20, the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and the National Democratic Institute cohosted a private roundtable discussion with Georgian Presidential Candidate Dr. Davit Bakradze, and his party representatives from the United National Movement (UNM). The discussion focused on Dr. Bakradze’s political platform and assessment of the upcoming October Presidential elections, as well […]

Strategy Session with Moldovan Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman

On September 19, 2013 the Atlantic Council hosted a private strategy session with Moldovan Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman. The discussion focused on the new government’s reform agenda, including relations with the EU, NATO, and the US. Participants also considered how to support Moldova’s reform agenda in the run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius […]

Reception for Young Professionals Network

On September 17, the Eurasia Foundation (EF) and the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center hosted a reception for the Young Professionals Network, a program for young leaders with a deep interest in the Eurasia region. Ambassador Ross Wilson and EF President Horton Beebe-Center made opening remarks.

Discussion with Georgian Presidential Candidate Dr. Nestan Kirtadze

On September 17, the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center hosted Georgian Presidential Candidate Dr. Nestan Kirtadze and her party representatives. The discussion focused on Dr. Kirtadze’s political platform and the initiatives of her “EU-Georgian, Abkhazian and Ossetian International Movement: for peace, democracy and development” (EUGAO) party, as well as political outcomes following the October presidential elections.