First Session of EU-Georgia Dialogue Initiative: “The EU and Georgia. How the EaP supports youth leaders”

EU-Georgia relations have gradually evolved over the years. Georgia’s relations with the EU began with the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed in 1996. This agreement entered into force in 1999. This was followed in 2014 by the EU Association Agreement (AA), which includes the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. Ten years after launching the Eastern Partnership (EaP), Georgia is its front runner.  However, in Georgia DCFTA entered into force in 2014 and fully in 2016.

Georgian citizens have benefitted from visa-free travel to the Schengen area since 28 March 2017. The European Union has granted Georgia the visa-free policy in exchange for wide-ranging democratic reforms.  I grew up almost in Europe and I am a member of the YEAs since 2017.

Eastern partner countries share the same values. We are young leaders of our country and, in the future, of the EaP.

The tenth Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership was celebrated in Brussels in 2019, and after that summit I realized we have common aims and we can get better Ideas on how to make an impact on youth by leading events together about important topics – health, historical, financial sciences, even if they are zoom meetings, and by sharing our Erasmus + experiences in local regions and abroad.

On 13th February 2021 I took part in the EU-Georgia Dialogue online Initiative organized by YEAs  Tatia Paradashvili and Virginia Maria Barchiesi  from the first session, which was titled “Developing a consolidated understanding of past, present and potential future of EU-Georgia relations”.

Me and Mariam Bitsadze had very detailed online presentation with modern information based on our experiences, too.  Important fact is lots of YEAs from the 6 partner countries knew our History, were interested in the past, present, and future and some of them had also visited Georgia.

With my presentation I covered: Georgia’s Europeanization and Development, EU-Georgia Partnership included DCFTA and Visa Free Regime and the EU and Georgia against COVID – 19 pandemic #Behealthy. We also have made the icebreaking activity in breakout rooms about “the associations when people hear Georgia’’. Almost all the YEAs have mentioned our traditional food, wine, Khinkali and Khachapuri.

I am so happy we have organized this great event.

European union always helps young leaders challenging themselves, with programmes such as EU4youth, Erasmus+, European School in Tbilisi, or by organizing international summits, that are also chances for us to share our values.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Well said. That is what Young European Ambassadors do.