Final Report on implementation of the Grant Agreement
signed on February 17, 2022 between Embassy of Japan in Georgia
and Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies.
Implementation of the Grant agreement covered period from February 17, 2022 to November 20, 2023.
During the mentioned period GFSIS in cooperation with Japan Embassy organized two public events
dedicated to the promotion of then knowledge and awareness about Japan’s foreign policy and thepossible ways of increase cooperation between Japan and Georgia.
1. 2- day Symposium: Georgia and Japan in the Changing World, 14-15 March, 2022The two-day conference, held in Tbilisi, Radisson Blue hotel gathered around 70 participants fromcivil society, academia, experts’ community, civil service, embassies and internationalorganizations to discuss following topics:-Japan’s Foreign Policy, FOIP amid changing Global Order, Japan’s Foreign Policy Convergencein Georgia
Georgia’s Foreign Policy, international order, human security, democracy and rule of law,
Georgia’s Foreign Policy Convergence in Japan
Georgia-Japan business partnership opportunities: exploratory discussion
Georgia: connectivity function between EU and Japan: “Middle Corridor” and its stakeholders,
Transport and Energy projects –mutual partnership opportunities and needs

The conference was organized in a hybrid format and several speakers (from Japan) connected thepanel discussions online. Following speakers made presentations and stimulated discussions:
Eka Metreveli - GFSIS President (Introductory remarks)- Professor Nakayama, (PhD), Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University- Professor Hirose, (PhD), Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan- David Goginashvili (PhD), Senior Researcher at Keio University- Giorgi Badridze GFSIS Senior Fellow- Shota Utiashvili GFSIS Senior Fellow- Tengiz Pkhaladze Senior Fellow, European Centre for International Political Economy- Kakha Gogolashvili GFSIS Senior Fellow, Director of EU Studies Center- Giorgi Mukhigulishvili Lead Researcher, World Experience for Georgia- Theodore Jonas Member of the Supervisory Board of Anaklia Development Consortium1

- Vladimer Papava GFSIS Senior Fellow, Director of the Center for Applied Economic Studies- Vakhtang Charaia Head of Tbilisi State University Center for Analysis and Forecast;- Konstantine Tsereteli Program Officer, JICA
- Buka Petriashvili - Merab Kakulia GFSIS Senior Fellow
As a feedback activity of the consortium, three policy papers, by Georgian experts has been produced andpublished.
The detailed information about the Symposium and related activities can be found in the Annex 1.
Report #1: March 14-15
2. Public Discussion Free and Open Indo-Pacific. November 20, 2023

The public discussion was divided into two sessions, the first one referred to possibilities and challenges
for the creation Free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), and the second session was dedicated to the Black Sea
Region and security challenges there.
The speakers reviewed Japanese foreign policy vectors, interests, and recent cooperation tendencies
towards Georgia, Caucasus, and GUAM countries in general, special attention was given to the Japaneseinitiative of creating FOIP.
The second part of the discussion was dedicated to the Black Sea Region and existing security actors in
there, their geopolitical and economic interests, aims and objectives, and also, to the changing
configurations of the balance of power in the region. The speakers also referred to the possibilities of theinvolvement of Japan in the Black Sea Security issues.
The professor of the Keio University, Ms. Ioko Hirose was participating in the event as a guest speaker.
Besides, Mr. Tomohiko Uyama, a Professor at Hokkaido University, participated in the discussion in adistance regime.
The public discussion was organized with the joint efforts of Rondeli Foundation and the Embassy of Japanin Georgia.
Participants:
Ms. Yoko Hirose, Professor of Keio University, Specialist on South Caucasus
Mr. Tomohiko Uyama, Professor of Hokkaido University, Specialist on Politics in Eurasia (online)
Kakha Gogolashvili, Senior Fellow, Director of EU Studies Centre, Rondeli Foundation
2

Nikoloz Vashakidze, Former Deputy Minister of Defense and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ambassador Giorgi Badridze, Senior Fellow, Rondeli Foundation
Tornike Turmanidze, Senior Fellow, Rondeli Foundation
Around 30 representatives of experts’ community, civil society, academia embassies attended the public
discussion from different institutions.

Eka Metreveli

Tbilisi, December 29, 2023

President GFSIS
Annex 1. Report #1: March 14-15
Annex 2. Financial Report3