The Russian-Georgian Youth Forum was held from December 21 to 25, 2022 in St. Petersburg and completed a busy working year during which several important bilateral political and cultural events were held. The event served as a kind of signal to deepen and expand work on the youth track as part of the development of relations between Russia and Georgia.
The purpose of the forum is the development of Russian-Georgian youth cooperation, the strengthening of friendly and professional ties between youth leaders of Georgia and Russia.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, MIREA – Russian Technological University, St. Petersburg Foundation "Centre for International and Regional Policy" with the support of the National Youth Council of Russia, the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, the Association "Center for the Promotion of International Journalism "Russian-Baltic Media Center".
The forum was attended by 55 people. They were young specialists in the field of international relations, politics, economics, regional studies, cultural studies; activists of public organizations involved in international activities and issues of public diplomacy; representatives of local and regional self-government bodies, state structures; students and graduate students, journalists from Russia and Georgia.
The forum’s program included expert discussions on issues on the bilateral agenda within the framework of humanitarian cooperation (culture, education, media) as well as meetings with public figures of two countries.
As a result of the discussion it was revealed that there is much more in common between the two countries than it seems. Namely, this is an important fact in building bilateral relations. The more there is in common, the easier it is to find a common language and common topics for discussion.
Many Georgian participants visited Russia for the first time and this trip, according to them, left only positive emotions.
Key outcomes:
The result of the working program was the presentation of group projects carried out by the participants under the guidance of experienced expert curators.
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"Tamara's Bridge" is an information and educational project (group curator is Rusudan Pukhashvili, the independent political scientist in Tbilisi).
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"Through Different Eyes" is a creative contest of art postcards (curator of the group is Nina Gabunia, the co-founder of the NPO "Alliance of Georgian Students and Graduates of Universities of the Post-Soviet Countries – Kera", Tbilisi).
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"LARS" is an educational project for the study of a foreign language (the curator of the group is Giorgi Mdivani, the founder of the Politico portal, Tbilisi).
