Guest Commentary

This week, a Georgian dream many thought unimaginable becomes true. I am visiting Washington, D.C., as chairman of Georgia’s Parliament — the result of the first-ever peaceful transition of power to an opposition party in my country’s history. 

Last October, after more than 20 years of post-Soviet authoritarian rule, the Georgian Dream coalition, led by businessman and philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili, defeated the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose Western leanings and early reforms won him many friends in the West. But his later years were marked by human rights violations, elite corruption and arbitrary behavior at all levels of government. A year ago, more people thought we would be in jail in 2013 than serving in Georgia’s Parliament or government.

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Last week I was in Washington to discuss the costs and benefits of trying to achieve deeper European integration with the most populous of the former Soviet republics — Ukraine.

Ukraine is a controversial country right now in Europe. The legal travails of its opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, have brought much negative publicity. But the story of Ukraine is not all black and white.

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President Obama’s announcement that the United States will launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union is very welcome news for both sides of the Atlantic.

As I highlighted during my recent visit to Washington, D.C., EU and U.S. experts have been looking into the detail of how the European Union and the United States could lead together in advancing our economies into a prosperous and sustainable age.

I am proud that the European Parliament has been at the forefront of giving a prospective transatlantic partnership the necessary political push. If any proof was needed, these past years have revealed how remarkably intertwined our economies are, for better or for worse.

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While we celebrate the second anniversary of the start of the Libyan Revolution and the promise of a free and democratic Libya, there is still much work that needs to be done. Just as the United States and the international community provided support to help us win the war, we now need their assistance to win the peace.

Two years ago, the spark for the revolution came to life among our young people, facilitated by technology and driven by a long, frustrated desire for dignity and a better life. It began on Feb. 17 in Benghazi with small demonstrations against the unfair imprisonment of activists. 

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On Jan. 1, Ireland took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, its seventh time to do so since becoming members 40 years ago this month.

What was at that time the European Economic Community and is now the European Union has evolved considerably since then — including with the accession of 10 new member states in 2004, the last occasion on which we held the presidency.

Ireland is thus a long-standing and committed member of the EU and will apply all its energies and resources to advancing the interests of the union throughout the course of its presidency.

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The world was watching last week as my country, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, marked a significant milestone in democratic reform with an historic election for Parliament. With more independent election monitors from around the world, a record number of candidates (and women candidates), the test came on the day itself, when almost 57 percent of registered voters cast their ballots. Now, that day is behind us and we move on to the next — continuing the hard work of the past decade focusing on our principles of reform, including democratization, respect for human and civil rights, the rule of law and economic liberalization based on the free-market economy.

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U.S. President Obama surprised many during his second inaugural address when he counted climate change, which received little serious attention during the presidential campaign, among his top second-term priorities. If he is serious about tackling climate change in his second term, President Obama will need new allies and partners in countries that have already made meaningful gains on climate change, such as Ecuador. Read more...

Over the past decade, the Greater Mediterranean has experienced significant turmoil. From the second Iraq war in 2003 to the more recent mass uprisings in the southern littoral states of the Mediterranean, various conflicts have unfolded on Europe’s doorstep. Though violent conflict is always undesirable and should be avoided, the region has seen a growing momentum to overthrow autocratic regimes. And from the ashes, the pain and destruction have sprouted the strong aspirations for freedom and democracy. 
It is in moments like these that those who cherish peace and democracy should stand up to be counted. There is no better time than now for us to support accountable forms of governance, sustainable political reform and increased respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

With the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) in May, the Chicago NATO Summit in June, the Tokyo Conference in July and the launch of the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Bilateral Commission in October, 2012 brought many historic achievements in Afghan-U.S. relations. This year began with President Hamid Karzai’s successful visit to the United States where he met with President Obama, top administration officials and leaders on Capitol Hill. As a result, the partnership between our two countries has coalesced into an enduring commitment on which we will build in the coming years. Read more...

A delegation exceeding 100 Puerto Rican citizens recently visited Washington D.C., calling upon members of Congress to respond to the results of a political status plebiscite held in Puerto Rico in November 2012. The delegation included representatives from all status options: statehood, independence, and sovereign free association. Their common plight: to convince Congress that based on the democratic majority of Puerto Rican voters, the time for decolonization is now. Read more...