Eastern Europe

Only three weeks after taking office—and before meeting with the German foreign minister—Maia Panjikidze came to an expert talk at the DGAP to clarify the new government in Tbilisi’s foreign policy priorities. Her most important message: Georgia seeks a connection to the EU and NATO and hopes for reconciliation with Russia. However, the re-opening of diplomatic relations with Russia will remain impossible as long as Russia continues to occupy Georgian territory.

EU Commisar Stefan Füle calls Moldova “the Eastern Partnership’s most dependable model student.” The challenges and progress made during the transformation process in Moldova – which has drawn closer to the EU – were at the center of the second EU-Moldova Forum. In addition to high-ranking experts from politics, business, and academia, the discussion also included Moldovan Foreign Minister Iurie Leanca, Justice Minister Oleg Efrin, and Economics Minister Valeriu Lazar.

75 Prozent des deutschen Handels mit dem Südkaukasus entfallen auf Aserbaidschan. Wegen seines Gas- und Ölreichtums verzeichnet das Land seit Jahren hohe Wachstumsraten. Von Deutschland erwartet Baku Hilfe bei der Diversifizierung seiner Wirtschaft weg von der dominierenden Rolle des Energiesektors. Wie dynamisch sich die Beziehungen zwischen dem wiedervereinten Deutschland und dem postsowjetischen Aserbaidschan entwickelt haben, daran erinnerte Bundesaußenminister a.D. Hans-Dietrich Genscher.