On April 4-5, 2016 the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) hosted working meetings within the project “Assistance to Russia-Georgia Dialogue” implemented by RIAC and the International Center for Conflicts and Negotiation (ICCN). The project is carried out with the support of the Human Security Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.
On April 4-5, 2016 the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) hosted working meetings within the project “Assistance to Russia-Georgia Dialogue” implemented by RIAC and the International Center for Conflicts and Negotiation (ICCN). The project is carried out with the support of the Human Security Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.
The Russian side was represented by RIAC Program Director Ivan Timofeev; Elena Kuzmina, Head of the Post-Soviet Countries’ Economic Development Section at the RAS Institute of Economics; Alexander Krylov, President of the Scientific Society of Caucasian Studies; Nikolay Silaev, Director of Caucasian Cooperation nonprofit partnership, Senior Research Fellow at the Caucasus Problems and Regional Security Center at MGIMO-University; Pavel Kanevsky, PhD in Political Science, Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology at the Sociology Department of Moscow State University; and RIAC Program Coordinator Alexander Eliseev.
The Georgian participants included Nina Tsikhistavi-Khutsishvili, ICCN Chair of the Board; Mamuka Areshidze, Coordinator of the ICCN Project “Promoting Dialogue between Russia and Georgia”; David Mirtskhulava, Doctor of Engineering, Partner of Israeli Power Projects, Technical Director of Trans Electrica Georgia; Emzar Jgerenaia, Head of the Business Chamber of Georgia, Professor of Economics and Business Department at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Editor-in-Chief of the Economy of Georgia magazine; Georgiy Sheradze, Doctor of Engineering, Academician of the Georgia’s Academy of Energy, Member of EPIC GROUP Board of Directors.
The event was also attended by Claudio Habicht, a diplomat representing the Human Security Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, and Guillaume Cassaigneau, Diplomatic Adviser at Swiss Federal Service of Energy.
The Russian and Georgian experts discussed at the meetings prospects for bilateral and regional cooperation in the energy sector. Notwithstanding the current political differences and the unstable situation in the region of the Greater Caucasus, the experts from both countries expressed confidence that the implementation of joint energy projects will not just yield economic benefits, but will promote bringing the positions of Russia and Georgia closer to each other too.
Following the meeting, it is planned to prepare a package of recommendations on promoting dialogue between Russia and Georgia in the energy sector to be submitted to government agencies of both countries.
Working meeting within the project “Assistance to Russia-Georgia Dialogue”
