La Tribune: "Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals"

The European Union needs to revive a continent-wide, long-term vision for its political future together with partners like Georgia, argues Laurence Daziano in a new opinion piece for La Tribune.

Daziano, Professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, addresses a bold model for a reset in EU-Russian relations, tabled last year by French president Emmanuel Macron.

In light of the upcoming talks between the EU and North Macedonia and Albania on membership path of the two states, Daziano argues, the question of the union's relations with Turkey and the South Caucasus will need to be addressed as well.

Among the Caucasus countries, Georgia has the most serious claim to become a member of the European Union. A country historically, culturally and politically anchored to European values, Georgia has its own identity - Laurence Daziano

The author of the article cites "significant progress on the European path" undergone by Georgia since the election of Salome Zurabishvili as the president in 2018. The opinion piece mentions free trade agreements and visa liberalisation with the EU among examples of the strides made by the country.

Daziano rounds his piece off by concluding that reinvesting in a broad political model of the EU will require a long-term vision with neighbours, "especially those such as Georgia who are so clearly Western-oriented". She calls for "support and commitment" by the union for the countries.

Read the full story here.