Tbilisi to host international conference on Russian influence on Caucasus

Tbilisi will hold a conference entitled "Russia today and its plans
for modernization - influence on the region". Russian experts are
arriving to take part, Trend reports.

Participants of the conference will hear reports on the processes in
Russia, their influence on Georgia and the Caucasus region. Georgian
and foreign experts will discuss the reports and exchange views.

Experts come from Russia, Germany, USA, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Estonia
and Turkey. They include Tobi Gati, director of the National Security
Council on Russia at President Clinton, Nicolai Petrov and Andrey
Ryabov, leading experts of the Moscow Carnegie center, Dmitry
Oreshkin, member of the public council of the Russian president.

The meeting was initiated by the Georgian Institute of Russian Studies
and the Center for Strategic Studies, supported by the Friedrich Ebert
Foundation.