Georgia on Your Mind: An Event with President Salome Zourabichvili

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Mass demonstrations have been sweeping through Georgia since the country’s parliamentary elections in late October, which observers widely regard as fraudulent. The crisis escalated in November when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would suspend its European Union membership talks until at least 2028.

In recent years, Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream party has embraced a pro-Kremlin stance, denouncing Western sanctions against Moscow, deepening Georgia’s economic ties with Russia, and blaming the war in Ukraine on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The party has maintained power by suppressing political opposition, civil society, and independent media. In defiance of these challenges, Georgians are courageously standing up to Russian influence—a noble cause that directly aligns with the United States’ national interests.

Join Hudson for a special address by freedom fighter and Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, followed by remarks from Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) and an expert panel discussion.

Program

Introduction

• John P. Walters, President and CEO, Hudson Institute

Keynote Address

• President Salome Zourabichvili, President, Georgia (virtual)

Remarks

• Representative Joe Wilson, United States Representative, Second District of South Carolina

Panel Discussion

• Laura Thornton, Senior Director, Global Democracy Programs, McCain Institute
• Ambassador Kurt Volker, Former Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations and US Ambassador to NATO
• Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

Moderator

• Peter Rough, Senior Fellow and Director, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute