Tbilisi: Another success for the training programme for EaP countries

The main purpose of the third and last module of the programme was the application of the knowledge gained throughout the preceding four months. An interactive seminar with experts from the Member States and the EU institutions challenged the students with 'nasty' questions, while at the same time facilitating the process of finding innovative and pragmatic solutions.

In the plenary discussions, the students received skills training on different presentation techniques. A highlight was the simulated press conference, in which the participants had to give a brief press statement and were afterwards confronted with questions from journalists. A panel discussion on the future of CSDP with the active contribution of the participants concluded this year's training programme.

The event was hosted by Austria and Lithuania with strong support from the European Commission's Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument (TAIEX). The next training event in the framework of the Eastern Partnership is envisaged for June 2018. The Georgian Defence Minister, who welcomed the students, highlighted the importance of training and thanked 'the European Security and Defence College for the continued support for training officials from Georgia and from other partner countries'.