Kornely Kakachia is a distinguished scholar of political science and holds the Jean Monnet Chair at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia. He is also the Director of the Georgian Institute of Politics, a think tank based in Tbilisi. Kakachia's research focuses on Georgian domestic and foreign policy, security issues in the wider Black Sea region, and the comparative landscape of party politics. His deep insights have led him to various academic institutions around the world, including Harvard University's Black Sea Security Program (2009-2010), Columbia University's Harriman Institute (2011), and Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Prof. Kakachia is co-editor of the book titled “Georgia’s Foreign Policy in the 21st Century: Challenges for a Small State” (London, New York: I.B. Tauris, 2021). His analysis has been published in multiple policy and academic peer-reviewed journals including European Security, Democratization, Europe Asia Studies, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, etc. Stephan Malerius is Head of the Regional Programme Political Dialogue South Caucasus of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in Tbilisi, Georgia. Previously, he held other positions within KAS, such as Deputy Head of Finance and Project Administration Department overseeing EU-funded projects in Georgia, Moldova, Belarus and Central Asia. Malerius gained valuable on-site expertise as Head of the KAS Country Office on Belarus, Team Leader for a KAS-led EU-funded technical assistance project on support to civil society in the Eastern Partnership countries based in Kyiv, and as Senior Project Coordinator and Head of the St. Petersburg office of the organization "Deutsch-Russischer Austausch".Stefan Meister is Director of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). Previously, he headed the South Caucasus office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Tbilisi and was Director of the Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. His extensive experience also includes roles as Programme Director for Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia at DGAP and Senior Policy Fellow in the Wider Europe team at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Meister's in-depth knowledge is recognised by German and international media, where he frequently provides insights on Russia, Ukraine, the South Caucasus and post-Soviet developments.
