The Brussels Office of the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM)
is pleased to invite you to a roundtable discussion

Georgian (lost) dreams and Armenian hopes:
prospects of the South Caucasus states’ rapprochement with the EU

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25 September 2026 (Friday)
12:30 – 14:30
PISM office at the premises of Business & Science Poland,
Rue Belliard 40, 5^th floor
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In recent years, there has been an unexpected reversal of roles between Georgia and Armenia in the context of European integration. Georgia, which for years had been the leader of democratic transformation and EU integration in the region, has become an enfant terrible for its former Western partners. For nearly two years, the Georgian ruling establishment has been efficiently building an authoritarian system seeking to crush the political opposition, civil society and the free media in order to fully consolidate its power. In fact, it has also abandoned the country’s integration into Euro-Atlantic structures in favour of closer ties with Russia, China, the Gulf states and Central Asia. This situation limits the EU’s capacity and political will to cooperate with Georgia.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Armenia, having lost the Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan and disillusioned by Russia’s lack of support, seeks to reduce its dependence on the latter in favour of closer ties with the EU and the US. It attempts to build a new direction in its foreign policy based on a multi-vector approach and connectivity. The main objectives are to establish a lasting peace with Azerbaijan, normalise relations with Türkiye, and open its borders with both, thereby connecting Europe with the countries of Central Asia through the so-called “Trump Route”. Although Armenia is still a long way off joining the EU, its actions attract the attention of European partners.

The seminar will provide an opportunity to discuss the prospects for Georgia’s and Armenia’s integration (cooperation) with the EU in the context of the evolution of their relations with the West and Russia, taking into account other international actors and the domestic situation. In particular, the seminar participants will seek to define the desired direction of the EU’s policy towards Georgia and Armenia, including mapping out the scope of their potential interactions. Is intensifying these interactions desirable? To what extent? How can the EU influence the situation in Georgia and Armenia and encourage them to apply democratic standards? What needs to happen for Georgia to return to the path of democratisation and Euro-Atlantic integration, and what role could the EU – and indeed the US – play in this process? What kind of sectoral support for Armenia is needed and feasible? What objectives should it pursue?

The discussion is organized in the context of PISM forthcoming publications: a report “(Lost) Georgian Dreams: Georgia Turns Its Back on the West” by Wojciech Wojtasiewicz, and a policy paper on Armenia’s foreign policy prospects following the parliamentary elections by Stefania Kolarz and Wojciech Wojtasiewicz.

Agenda:

12:00-12:30 Arrivals. Sandwich lunch

12:30-12:35 Welcome and opening remarks

• Melchior Szczepanik, Head of Brussels Office, PISM

12:35-13:35 Panel 1: Georgian (lost) dreams

• Deren Derya, Head of Division, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, European External Action Service
• Iana Maisuradze, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre
• Wojciech Wojtasiewicz, South Caucasus Region Analyst, PISM

Moderation: Melchior Szczepanik, Head of Brussels Office, PISM

Panel discussion followed by an exchange of views with participants

13:35-14:30 Panel 2: Armenian hopes

• David Cullen, Head of Unit, Georgia, South Caucasus, East, DG ENEST, European Commission
• Ondrej Ditrych, Senior Analyst, EUISS (online)
• Stefania Kolarz, EU Law and OSCE Analyst, PISM

Panel discussion followed by an exchange of views with participants

The debate will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

To confirm attendance and for any inquiries, please reply to brusselsoffice@pism.pl