„Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity“. These words, presented in the Schuman Declaration by French foreign minister Robert Schuman on 9 May 1950, still resonates with us today, on the verge of the new enlargement of now European Union and 10 candidate countries aspiring to join it.

Following this thread of thought, the discussion around the EU integration topics are crucial on different levels. As aspiring countries work on their own reform agendas, it is important to share experience and thoughts among each other in different settings and I deeply believe that this creates many opportunities and partnerships that help along the way.

Considering resent political and security challenges in Europe and furthering EU integration paths for aspiring countries it was an excellent idea from the part of the German Federal Foreign Office to organize a seminar for the EU candidate countries on the EU rapprochement and integration where Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Western Balkans would participate all together.

Organizing the seminar in Germany added a significant layer of relevance and richness to the experience for the participants. Germany's history of reunification and its role as a founding member of the European Union offer valuable insights and lessons for EU aspiring countries. The process of rebuilding after reunification, with a focus on democratic principles, human rights, and economic prosperity, serves as a model for other nations seeking to join the EU. By learning from Germany's experience, participants can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in the European integration process.

For all of us, the dialogues, exchange of ideas and information was a new and refreshing way of looking at the EU integration paths of our own nations. Apart from the interesting discussions on the seminars and exchange of experience on a professional level, we also engaged on a very personal one. After years of my work in a diplomatic setting, it still surprised me, how this human touch and an excellent organization from our hosts helped us to be open and honest on so many levels, ask questions and connect with each other. The whole experience was transcending just working relations with the participants and established much-unexpected friendships between us that will last and help in our professional lives when dealing with each other’s countries in the future.

I cannot underline enough the importance of the concept of this seminar of inviting both Western Balkans and Trio of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine as it helped to engage in new dialogues. Throughout the seminar, we have dived in history, conflicts, perceptions, politics and geopolitics, personal experiences and that served to not only obtain new, valuable information from each other, but also build trust. These three weeks gave me an excellent opportunity to have the glimpse into the future of the EU integration of Georgia and other candidate countries, but was an exceptional chance to build new friendships, to network, to discover how similar we are as people in so many ways. Furthermore, it made me realize, how much we share some of the same traits throughout the history especially on our EU integration paths with those countries and we pondered over the differences on this very topic.

During those discussions and the time we spent together, it was more than clear that indeed, we are „united in diversity“ and that makes us stronger. Building on this very same idea, it will give those countries an outstanding foundation to come together to work for the common future, a final goal of full-fledged EU membership to the Union we aspire to, because these countries share same values and vision of the prosperous, cooperative, peaceful, European future.

„Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent“ – wrote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in its timeless detective – Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I always loved this phrase, but could never fully grasp the deepest meaning of it. Over the years, it would still describe some feelings I would get on some events in my life or around me. This same phrase was in my mind last December, when Georgia was granted EU candidate status. Truth be told, this quote was one that reverberated in my mind over the period of the three weeks I spent attending the seminar, visiting Berlin, Brussels and Prague. Working and spending time with these people – official representatives of institutions, think-tanks, presenters, diplomats, politicians, academicians, but mostly my colleagues from Moldova, Ukraine and Western Balkans, that I am pleased to call now friends, once again reignited the fire of passion and enthusiasm I always had about the EU and related topics and especially about being a diplomat.

„Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity“. This seminar ensured that we, from our side, started to build that, de facto solidarity. I am sure, all together, and apart, we will work to contribute in building our mutual European future.

Salome Akubardia