The Georgian President discusses security in the Black Sea region at Comenius University
On 15 May 2017, there was a lecture by the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, on the topic of “Security in the Black Sea Region as a Cornerstone of European Stability” in the Rector’s Hall of Comenius University.
The President of Georgia was welcomed to the university on behalf of the rector by Professor Peter Moczo, who is the Comenius University Vice-Rector for Science and Post-Graduate Study; Moczo praised the importance of the EU/Georgia Association Agreement, which came into force last year.
Giorgi Margvelashvili addressed those gathered as a sitting president, but he also presented his knowledge from the posts he had held before being elected to office in 2013. In addition to other things, he taught philosophy and cultural studies at the Free University of Tbilisi and was a member of the National Democratic Institute as well as the Georgian Institute for Public Affairs. He was also the Georgian Minister of Education and Science for a brief time.
The lecture was given in the spirit of the president’s broad expertise. Firstly, the president dealt with a lot of strategic, economic, and security issues as well as the political aspects of the integration of Georgia into European structures and NATO.
In the subsequent discussion, he did not avoid answering questions about international relations in the Transcaucasian region. He gave an opinion on the tension between Russia and Ukraine and explained that the motivated partnership with Turkey was to serve common interests.
“Despite the reforms which I initiated as the minister of education, I have to say that Georgia is still lacking a systematic form of research which would act as the driving force of the economic development of society,” he said in answer to a question about the status of education and science in his country.
In conclusion, the Georgian president received a Comenius University commemorative medal from Comenius University Vice-Rector, Professor Moczo, and he signed the university’s Visitor’s Book.
Adam Máčaj, a student at the Faculty of Law at Comenius University
CU Public Relations Office
More information on the discussion with the Georgian president can be found in the June issue of Naša univerzita (Our university) magazine.