Visegrad Lessons for Georgia
Overcoming Political Divides through Practical Cooperation
ვიშეგრადის გაკვეთილები საქართველოსთვის:
პოლიტიკური უთანხმოების დაძლევა პრაქტიკული თანამშრომლობის გზით
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Description:
This project consists of four webinars and a report published in both English and Georgian. Its purpose is to showcase the Visegrad Group's success in maintaining regional cooperation despite internal political divisions. By drawing on the experiences of the V4, the project aims to equip Georgian stakeholders with strategies to preserve essential national and regional ties amid political polarization.
Implementation Period: 01/10/2025–01/05/2026
Project Results:
Webinars: Below you can watch the videos of each webinar, which are subtitled in Georgian, or read the full texts available in both English and Georgian. The full proceedings and key summaries of all webinars are also available for download here: Full Proceedings; Key Summaries.
Recommendations: Download the Final Report with Recommendations.
Background Papers: Download the contributed Papers.
✠ პროექტის შედეგები (in Georgian):
მთავარი შეჯამებები
Webinar 1: “Political Differences, Practical Unity: The Visegrad Experience”
On December 18, 2025, the inaugural V4+Georgia webinar, titled “Political Differences, Practical Unity: The Visegrad Experience,” took place. The event convened 16 high-level experts and diplomats from all Visegrad Group member states and Georgia. The edited proceedings, including a summary and participant list, are available in video and text formats (English and Georgian) here.
Watch the full video in English with Georgian subtitles (45 minutes):
Watch 1-minute discussion highlights from Webinar 1:
Webinar 2: “Environmental Challenges: Joint Responses. Academic and Scientific Cooperation”
On January 29, 2026, we hosted the second V4+Georgia webinar, titled “Environmental Challenges: Joint Responses. Academic and Scientific Cooperation.” The event featured 19 prominent diplomats and experts representing Georgia and all four Visegrad nations. You can find the edited proceedings in English and Georgian here. Additionally, the full video of the discussion (with Georgian subtitles) is provided below.
Webinar 3: “Business Beyond Politics”
Our third V4+Georgia webinar, “Business Beyond Politics,” took place on March 5, 2026, with the participation of 18 high-level experts and diplomats from the V4 region and Georgia. Access the edited proceedings in English and Georgian here, or watch the full video with Georgian subtitles below.
The third webinar “Business Beyond Politics,” explored the extent to which economic cooperation within the Visegrad Group can endure despite political tensions and what lessons this may hold for Georgia. Bringing together experts in economics, finance, and regional policy, the discussion examined the structural foundations of economic interdependence in Central Europe—from EU frameworks and cross-border cooperation to the role of multinational companies and financial institutions as stabilising forces.
While highlighting both the strengths and limitations of EU-driven integration, speakers also addressed the growing role of state intervention, the risks posed by weak rule-of-law environments, and the conditions necessary for sustainable investment. The conversation ultimately turned to the Georgian context, emphasising that durable economic cooperation depends not only on external investment but, fundamentally, on institutional stability, democratic governance, and credible legal frameworks.
Webinar 4: “Lessons for Georgia: Roundtable and Action Points”
The webinar series concluded on March 26, 2026, with a high-level roundtable: “Lessons for Georgia: Action Points.” Attended by 22 prominent diplomats and experts from the V4 region and Georgia, the session focused on translating dialogue into practical cooperation. Edited proceedings in English and Georgian (video and text) can be viewed here. Watch the full video with Georgian subtitles below.
What can Georgia learn from the Visegrad Group's experience of maintaining regional cooperation despite deep political polarization? In the fourth and final webinar of the "Visegrad Lessons for Georgia" series, experts from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Georgia draw practical action points from Central Europe's cooperation model. Key takeaways include the "compartmentalization" approach — deliberately insulating functional cooperation in sectors such as energy, education, transport, and business from high-level political conflict. Speakers emphasize that cooperation does not require political unity, but does require mechanisms that work even when politics is polarized. The roundtable also examines what elements of the Visegrad model are realistically transferable to Georgia's context, and what is not.
The proceedings of all our Webinars (1-4) have already been edited and published in English and Georgian at:
Webinar 1: www.caucasianjournal.org/2026/01/experts-discuss-visegrad-four.html
Webinar 2: www.caucasianjournal.org/2026/02/experts-discuss-visegrad-four.html
Webinar 3: www.caucasianjournal.org/2026/03/business-beyond-politics-visegrad.html
Webinar 4: https://www.caucasianjournal.org/2026/04/Action-Points-from-Visegrad-Experience.html
Selected Takeaways
1. "Low Politics" vs. "High Politics": Ladislav Cabada (Metropolitan University Prague) emphasized that clashes in "high politics" (ideology, foreign policy) should not stop "low politics" cooperation. Trade, scientific exchange, and environmental protection must remain active even when leaders disagree.
2. The "TRIO" and South Caucasus Formats: Kakha Gogolashvili (Rondeli Foundation) highlighted that while the V4 was a lobbyist for EU entry, Georgia can look toward a "South Caucasian format" (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) for regional stability, using V4-style sectoral cooperation (SMEs, environment) as a blueprint.
"Now there is another format that is possible to use—the South Caucasian format between Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. These three countries can cooperate and use the experience of the Visegrad Group" — Kakha Gogolashvili
3. The Resilience of Civil Society: István Gyarmati and Giorgi Robakidze warned that the West must not "give up" on Georgia because of government friction. Instead, support for civil society should increase when official channels become difficult.
4. The Visegrad Fund Model: The International Visegrad Fund (IVF) remains the "only remaining asset" of true cooperation for the V4. For Georgia, creating a decentralized Civil Society Forum could protect independent media and fight disinformation.
"The Visegrad project itself is an act of defiance against history" — Marta Simeckova
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