The International Dimensions of Regional Conflicts to Hold in Tbilisi
On Thursday, December 5, at 6:00 pm, Heinrich Boell Foundation Tbilisi Office holds the public discussion - "The International Dimensions of Regional Conflicts: The cases of Georgia and Ukraine".
Post-Soviet conflict zones have internal and external dimensions. Internally, countries have to deal with the IDPs, a constant threat of spillover effects from the disputed territories and the human dimension of conflicts. Externally, other players use these conflicts to manipulate and control the affected countries.
The annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas has been conceived in Georgia as the continuation of Russia’s involvement in conflicts in the post-Soviet states, especially in Georgia since 2008. There is this argument that, in the case of Donbas, Russia created conflict to prevent Ukraine from integration with the NATO and the EU. It has been discussed, that the lack of the Western sanctions against Russia in 2008 taught Moscow that small wars in the post-Soviet neighborhood will not provoke a large reaction by the West. Despite a more comprehensive reaction from the West in the case of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, which has resulted in the creation of the Normandy format and sanctions against Russia, there is a lack of ideas on how the international engagement and formats can help to solve conflicts. Many formats seem to work around the conflict, they are platforms for exchange, which is important, but they often do not help to solve the conflicts.
At this public discussion they will discuss following issues:
What does Georgia expect from the conflict-relevant Western actors?
What is the current situation in Donbas?
How can Ukraine and Georgia use the international platforms to address their needs?
How are the conflicts in Georgia reflected on the international stage?
Speakers will be:
Franziska Smolnik, Deputy Head of Research Division - Eastern Europe and Eurasia, German Institute for International and Security Affairs;
Tamar Kochoradze, Head of Department for Policy Analysis, Planning and International Relations, Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality;
Pavlo Klimkin, Diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2014 – 2019);
This event is organized in the framework of Heinrich Boell Foundation's format Boell Talks, which aims to hold public discussions with civil society representatives, experts and decision-makers on the topics of relevance for Georgia and the South Caucasus.
The address is NATO & EU Info Center, 2/1 Sh. Dadiani st., Tbilisi.