Statesmen's Forum: H.E. Tinatin Khidasheli, Defense Minister of Georgia

Featuring:

H.E. Tinatin Khidasheli
Defense Minister of Georgia

for a discussion on

A Complex Neighborhood: Assessing Georgia's Security Future

Moderated by:

Ms. Heather A. Conley
Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic
Director, CSIS Europe Program

Please join us for a Statesmen’s Forum featuring the Defense Minister of Georgia, Tinatin Khidasheli, as she discusses the Georgian government’s views on its relationship with NATO, the future of NATO enlargement ahead of next year’s NATO Summit in Warsaw, and the West’s relationship with the Kremlin following Russia’s military intervention in Syria and terrorist attacks in Paris. Russian military forces currently occupy 20 percent of Georgian territory and continue to push past the 2008 ceasefire borders. Over the past year, Russia has accelerated efforts to integrate South Ossetia and Abkhazia and enhanced its military presence in the region. Despite these challenges, the Georgian government has continued to deepen its cooperation with NATO and on August 27 the alliance inaugurated a joint training and evaluation center in Georgia. What steps is Georgia taking to enhance its territorial defense? What are Georgia’s hopes and aspirations for the July 2016 NATO Warsaw Summit? Can the U.S. and Europe simultaneously counter and deter Russian malign influence, strengthen resilience, and reduce the vulnerability of NATO allies and partners in the region while cooperating with Moscow on key global challenges like Syria, Iran, and counter-terrorism?

This discussion is made possible by general support to CSIS