Five years after signing an Association Agreement with the EU, Georgia has made considerable progress on many fronts of its reform agenda. Nevertheless, challenges remain in the area of democratisation, including polarisation of the political debate, societal tensions, concerns about judicial independence and persistent corruption.

The event will take stock of the achievements and setbacks in the reform process and what this meant for Georgian citizens. It will also stimulate discussion on the necessary conditions and EU incentive structure to keep the momentum for positive changes.

The event will touch on the following questions:

• What are some of the main achievements in the reform progress and how has the association process with the EU contributed to that?
• What have these accomplishments meant for Georgian citizens and the wider society?
• What are some of the remaining challenges, especially in judicial reform and anti-corruption efforts?
• Looking ahead: how can the EU deepen its political and other support and deliver the right incentives to further reform efforts?
• How can Georgia's civil society best contribute to this process and what is its capacity to do so?|
  
  

Speakers:

Zaza Abashidze - Director, Squander Detector
Eka Gigauri - Executive Director, Transparency International Georgia
Keti Khutsishvili - Executive Director, Open Society Georgia Foundation
Iskra Kirova - Senior Analyst, Open Society European Policy Institute (moderation)
Svitlana Kobzar - Programme Officer, European Endowment for Democracy (welcome words)
Sulkhan Saladze - Chairman, Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA)

We hope that you can join us! Please confirm your participation by 18 February to marianna.lianantonaki@opensocietyfoundations.org.