

Member of the Parliament of Georgia
Executive Director, Transparency International Georgia
Senior Fellow for Malign Finance, Alliance for Securing Democracy, German Marshall Fund
Board Member, Anti-Corruption Action Center and Co-founder, International Center for Ukrainian Victory
Research Fellow
Nate Sibley is a research fellow with Hudson Institute’s Kleptocracy Initiative.
In 2008, Russia invaded and illegally occupied one-fifth of the Republic of Georgia. Now Moscow’s authoritarian influence again threatens the country.
Georgia’s wealthiest oligarch, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in Russia and reportedly maintains business interests there. Meanwhile, anti-Western elements have sought to influence Georgia’s state institutions and civil society in recent years, and relations with the United States and European Union have become increasingly strained.
Russian influence within Georgia has significant implications for Ukraine’s fight for freedom. Tbilisi’s stance toward Kyiv has been lukewarm despite strong public support for helping Ukraine. Georgia’s strategic location and economic dependence on Russia raise concerns that it could become a hub for sanctions evasion. And the recent influx of Russian émigrés has prompted fears that the Kremlin could use their presence as a pretext for further interference or aggression.
Please join leading Georgian and US experts at Hudson Institute for a discussion on countering Russia’s influence in Georgia.
Hudson Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Luke Coffey host a discussion with Ambassador Elchin Amirbayov, representative of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan on special assignments.
Hudson’s Center for the Economics of the Internet welcomes James Andrew Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies to discuss his research in this area. A light lunch will be served.
Join Ambassador Husain Haqqani, senior fellow and director of Hudson’s South and Central Asia Program, for a conversation on this and more with Amber Rahim Shamsi, Asfandiyar Mir, Aqil Shah, and Uzair Younus.