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Towards Unlocking Georgia's European Perspective

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Towards Unlocking Georgia's European Perspective TOWARDS UNLOCKING GEORGIA’S EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE CONTENT The European Perspective of Georgia: How to Bring Closer the Future 08 Archil Gegeshidze Case studies of EU member states: Czech Republic’s Path to the European Union Pavlína Janebová 26 Normativity, Persuasion and “Mending” History: Hungarian Pre-Accession Perspectives 34 on EU Membership in the 1990s Gergely Romsics Poland’s Transformation and EU Membership: Editor: Archil Gegeshidze Lessons for Georgia 43 Contributors: Ekaterine Baramidze, Tamar Kldeiseli, Eter Sajaia, Adam Reichardt Teona Sekhniashvili, Sopho Tsikoridze, Tamar Mikeladze, Mariam Jakeli Technical Editors: Tengo Darashili, Nino Gongadze Slovakia’s Lessons From EU Accession: Implications for Georgia 52 Translators: Lali Kereselidze, Nino Mirazanashvili Vladimír Bilčík Proofreading: Kate Ruth Davies Case studies of EU Candidate countries: Montenegro in the Process of EU Integration Momčilo Radulović 60 The views, opinions and statements expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs only and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Open Society Georgia Foundation Serbia’s EU Integration Process (OSGF) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). Therefore, the OSFG and the FES are not responsible 71 for the content of the informational material. Maja Bobić © 2018, The levan Mikeladze Foundation ISBN 978-9941-8-0491-5 4 5 Foreword foreword Official relations between Georgia and the European Union began as early as the 1990s with the To this end, the Levan Mikeladze Foundation, with the financial support of the International Viseg- signing of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. Ever since, the relationship has developed rad Fund and Open Society Foundation, and in partnership with The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, steadily: the process of integrating Georgia into the internal institutions of the European Union has conducted the project – ‘Towards Unlocking Georgia’s EU perspective’. Within, the experiences of intensified and, as a result of the signing of the Association Agreement and the Agreement on the the Visegrad nations, along with Serbia and Montenegro representing the western Balkan region, Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area in 2014, the prospects of Euro-integration are becom- were examined. Moreover, experts from the aforementioned countries were invited to Georgia to ing ever more realistic. The inclusion of Georgia in the Visa-liberalisation programme allowing its participate in research for the project. The findings of the study were deliberated during three dis- citizens to freely access the Schengen Zone since March 2017 is a tangible case of progress in this cussion meetings which included representatives of civil society, the Parliament and Government regard. However, unlike NATO, the European Union has yet to promise Georgia full membership. of Georgia, as well as diplomats and NGOs. The results of the discussions were used in the policy document published in this collection of papers. The collection also contains the analysis of the Eu- The Russian factor remains the most significant obstacle for Georgia in terms of European integra- ro-integration trajectories of the Visegrad Four - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, tion. Among other tools, Russia employs strong anti-western propaganda, attempting to discredit as well as Serbia and Montenegro, made by experts invited from these countries. the path of European integration chosen by the Georgian people. Despite this, the historically rooted feeling among Georgian people of belonging to European civilization naturally reinforces the European choice and integration into the European Union, as in the main institutional con- Archil Gegeshidze struct of Europe, remains the uncontested political priority. Recently, there has been an increase in the population of expectations corresponding to this priority. That is why the issue of institutional integration into the European Union is firmly established in public discourse, which, in turn, has an impact on public policy: European integration is outlined as a clear goal both in the resolution of the Parliament of Georgia1 and the manifesto of the current government.2 The process has, in fact, become mandatory, as European integration is warranted by the Constitution of Georgia. The new edition of the Constitution3 obliges each body of the government to ensure it ‘by all means necessary’. It is rather obvious that European integration can only take place once there is internal readiness on behalf of Georgia both in terms of economy and institutions. However, the willingness of the European Union to include Georgia in the ‘club’ is undoubtedly more significant. It may seem like a simple formula to solve, yet it will be difficult to make this process happen in the foreseeable future. In order for a state of mutual readiness to mature, a whole range of political and economic conditions must be created. Although, the question immediately arises: when the parties are not ready for Georgia’s membership in the European Union, is it possible to at least consider the pros- pects for membership, albeit in a distant future? This does not require such a high level of readi- ness on both sides, does it? In order to answer that question, it is important to consider the experiences of the countries that have undergone the process of Euro-integration in recent years. Despite the fact that the context in each individual case differs from that of Georgia, it is extremely interesting to study their journey. On the example of different countries, this traversed path contains many common features. At the same time, there are also unique circumstances that ultimately led to the desired result. As a result of familiarization with this experience, one can learn a lot of useful information for Georgia on the development of an effective strategy and tactics in order to effectively influence the “opening of a European perspective”. 1. http://www.parliament.ge/ge/ajax/downloadFile/53453/; 2. http://gov.ge/files/68_67099_111823_2018-2020.pdf; 3. https://matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/30346?publication=35; 6 7 Georgia Archil Gegeshidze The European Perspectives of Georgia: This document focuses on assessing the feasibility of granting Georgia European Union (EU) mem- How to bring closer the Future bership perspective and discusses both contributing and impeding factors that influence this -mat ter now or have the potential to do so in the future. Some arguments proposed in the analysis are supported by analogies and facts from the experience of the Visegrad Four countries, as well as policy Document Serbia and Montenegro, presented in papers specially written for this collection. The papers were authored by experts from the aforementioned countries. The ambition for EU membership: from wish to objective The beginning of relations between independent Georgia and European institutions was marked Archil Gegeshidze by the adoption of the so called TRACECA Declaration by ministers of trade and transport of the The Levan Mikeladze Foundation South Caucasus and Central Asia, together with officials from the European Communities, in May Ambassador Archil Gegeshidze currently serves as an 1993, in Brussels. The declaration entailed the development of a trans-regional transport corridor. Executive Director of the Levan Mikeladze Foundation. His primary responsibilities are related to the oversight of It should be noted that Georgia itself acted as the initiator of the development of the transit poten- projects for the study of the rapprochement of Georgia tial of the post-Soviet states, also signing the declaration. It required substantial diplomatic energy with the European Union and raising the level of aware- to convince the European partners, along with some reluctant regional actors, to begin close coop- ness of vulnerable social groups. eration in the field. At the time, the EU did not officially exist, until the Maastricht Treaty was put In 2013-2016 A. Gegeshidze served in the United States as into effect several months later, in November. ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Georgia. Prior to his appointment as ambassador, he worked for many years in an academic environment. He was a senior In 1996, the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) was signed between Georgia and the fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies. For more than 10 years of work in newly established EU. Entering into force in 1999, the PCA established a framework of legal and this organization, Dr. Gegeshidze conducted research to institutional cooperation. Within it, mutual objectives were defined, along with the initiation of deepen Georgia’s cooperation with the European Union, a political dialogue on sectoral cooperation. This came at a time when the country was ready to promote the Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian dialogue, strengthen regional security and improve the make a strategic choice and to take its first humble steps towards the West. However, the PCA competitiveness of the transit corridor running through mainly focused on supporting Georgia during the transitional period of post-Soviet transformation Georgia. Dr. Gegeshidze also lectured on globalization and development and provided training in policy analysis for and therefore did not aim at something more ambitious. In general, prior to 2004, the relationship young professionals and future leaders. between Georgia and the EU resembled that of a donor and a recipient. In fact, the EU had
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