Georgia and Europe: A Centuries-Long Tradition of Relations
Georgia and Europe: A Centuries-Long Tradition of Relations

Summary/Abstract: Georgia’s aspiration to join the European family is rooted in a long historical process shaped by geography, culture, religion, and security needs. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Caucasus has been a space of interaction between Eastern and Western civilizations, yet Georgia consistently identified with the Western cultural and political sphere. From antiquity and Christianization through the medieval era, Georgian elites repeatedly chose Western alliances, values, and institutions,despite persistent pressure from Eastern empires. Cooperation with Byzantium, European monarchies, and the Crusaders reflected this strategic and civilizational orientation.Although foreign domination and geopolitical constraints often hindered effective integration, the European vector remained central to Georgian statehood. The article argues that Georgia’s contemporary European integration represents the continuation and restoration of a historically grounded civilizational choice.

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