The seminar “Importance and prospects of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration process” was held at the Information Centre on NATO and EU under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the students living in the occupied territory of Abkhazia and studying in the controlled territory of Georgia.

The seminar was opened by Tamara Tsuleiskiri, director of the Information Center on NATO and EU. She focused on the importance of raising young people’s awareness of and involvement in Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration process.

The State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, Tea Akhvlediani, and the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States of America – Ryan Harker Harris delivered welcome speeches for the 30 young people participating in the seminar.

For her part, Tea Akhvlediani spoke about the importance of similar projects for young people displaced from the occupied territories and the efforts of the State Minister’s office in this direction, and thanked both the Information Center and the U.S. Embassy for holding the mentioned event.

In his speech, Ryan Harker Harris spoke about the U.S. support of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration process and focused on the project that the Information Center is implementing jointly with the U.S. Embassy to Georgia, with the funding of the U.S. Department of State.

Within the framework of the one-day seminar, Natia Gvenetadze, the senior adviser at the National Security Council, and Tornike Parulava, the director of the NATO Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered lectures on the establishment of NATO, its tasks and goals, the role of NATO in ensuring global security, the dynamics of NATO-Georgian relations and cooperation mechanisms. The Director of the European Integration Department of the General Directorate of European Integration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Salome Shapakidze, acquainted the participants with the history of formation and enlargement of the European Union, the process of Georgia’s European integration, its importance and perspectives. Also, special attention was focused on the importance of effective fulfillment of the Association Agreement and obligations related to it. Within the framework of the course, young people discussed the methods of fighting against anti-Western propaganda with the invited expert Davit Dzidzishvili, director of the Research and Analysis Department of the Strategic Communications Center – Georgia.

The seminar was held within the framework of the project “Increasing Regional Outreach and Engagement Over Western Integration” funded by the United States Department of State. The Project is implemented by the Information Center on NATO and EU together with the U.S. Embassy to Georgia.