Author: Tedo Japaridze

Ambassador Kornblum: Georgia lost a friend

December 23, 2023 by Tedo Japaridze

American diplomacy lost a man who weighed with authority on the Euro-Atlantic partnership, at a point in time when this relationship is being remoulded. Georgia lost a friend and an anchor to the West, precisely at a moment where we still wander in a changing geopolitical sea without a rudder. Ambassador John Kornblum will be missed. … Read more

Georgia should not gamble with the patience of its Allies

September 22, 2023 by Tedo Japaridze

Georgia will hold parliamentary elections in 2024. That is unfortunately aligned with the electoral cycle of US Presidential elections and campaigning in the EU-27 as we near the European Parliamentary elections. The Republican primaries’ debate in the US offers the first indication of a resurging neo-isolationism. As for Europe, polling suggests the far-right forces are … Read more

Georgia: How to Be Rational and Coherent in That Disbalanced World? – A Conversation with Professor Neil Macfarlane

July 21, 2023 by Tedo Japaridze

I acquainted with Neil Macfarlane since the last century: it was 1990 when we met each other for the first time at some round table held by the Georgian MFA to discuss the never-ending dilemma Georgia had been trying to resolve for centuries: how to preserve our identity and do that in a more or … Read more

From Ambassador notes: Tedo Japaridze’s interview with Zuhdi Janbek, a Jordanian general with the Circassian origin

September 8, 2021 by Tedo Japaridze

Zuhdi Janbek is a prominent Jordanian statesman, politician and public figure. He held different high-level positions in the Jordanian hierarchy throughout his outstanding career, among them the post of the President of Circassian Charity Association in Jordan 2017 – 2020. Mr. Janbek is a prominent public security expert with 33 years of work. He used … Read more

In Memoriam of Donald Henry Rumsfeld

July 6, 2021 by Tedo Japaridze

Donald Rumsfeld was an anchor and a rudder. In the service of four Republican Presidents – Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George W. Bush – Donald Rumsfeld was seen as a controversial figure to certain Americans because of his unapologetic, unyielding, and committed dedication to what each of these administrations defined as the America’s strategic … Read more

Japan and Georgia: so far, so close

January 8, 2020 by Tedo Japaridze

In November of 2019, Ambassador Tedo Japaridze visited Japan invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Japanese Embassy in Georgia. Here’s an opinion piece of Mr. Japaridze published by the “Japan Up Close” site. It’s a platform in English that allows professionals in their fields both in and out of Japan … Read more

How Bush placed Georgia on the map

December 18, 2018 by Tedo Japaridze

President George H.W. Bush will be missed not only as a historical leader but also for the style of leadership he brought to Washington: calculated, diligent, often bipartisan, driven by conviction, guided by humility, and resolute. Georgia owes him a great debt.

Helmut Kohl was a great friend of Georgia

June 20, 2017 by Tedo Japaridze

Helmut Kohl, in hand with Edward Shevardnadze, Michael Gorbachev, and George H.W. Bush, convinced Europe to rise to the occasion and believe that history can progress, that unity and national sovereignty can go hand-in-hand, and that conflict is not inevitable when Germany is united.

Tbilisi and Brussels: tending to the democracy we have fired up

March 14, 2017 by Tedo Japaridze

Tedo Japaridze is Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Parliament of Georgia. — Ambassador Tedo Japaridze is a former Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Parliament of Georgia.

Every time someone in Brussels criticizes the Georgian government, a chain reaction begins in Tbilisi. With specs of truth, the opposition starts a fire designed to scorch the reputation of Georgia, while certain media will provide ventilation.

It is not long before the whole

Remembering Bob Walsh: A man who brought big ideas to life in Georgia and around the world

March 10, 2017 by Tedo Japaridze

The Memorial Service, remembering Bob Walsh, will be held on March 11 in Seattle…

So today, indeed, is a sad, tough, rough day because Bob Walsh was my friend for 30 years. Maybe it was for even longer, it seemed that he was a part of my entire life.