Intelligence Square Public debate on 25th September 2008: "Georgia and Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO"

Denis MacShane MP will debate the Russia-Georgia crisis at an Intelligence Squared debate on Thursday 25th September at the Royal Geographical Society

details below and tickets from www.intelligencesquared.com

September 25, 2008

£25.00 / Ticket

This debate will take place at The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7. Doors open 6pm. Debate starts 6.45pm and finishes at 8.30pm

Speakers for the motion:

David Darchiashvili MP Chairman of the Committee on European Integration in the Georgian Parliament. He is a member of the ruling Unified National Movement party and recently said "Russia's recognition of independence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is a challenge to other democratic countries."
Denis MacShane MP Minister of State for Europe at the Foreign Office from 2002 to 2005 where his responsibilities included the Balkans and some former Soviet republics, including Georgia and Ukraine. He remains on the Council of Europe and is a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Oleg Rybachuk Mr Rybachuk was head of the Presidential Secretariat and Chief of Staff to Victor Yushchencko, President of Ukraine. He recently resigned to become Chairman of the Souspilnist Foundation, which encourages civil society and promotes democracy and is director of the Euro-Atlantic University. He has also served as Vice-Prime Minister for European Integration.

Speakers against the motion:

Alexey Pushkov Anchor of the most popular Russian TV programme "Post Scriptum" which has considerable influence on Russian public perception of international events. He is also Professor at the Moscow State Institute of International relations and Member of the Board of the influential Council of Foreign and Defence Policy.
Lord Skidelsky Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick and the author of The World after Communism. He is also Chairman of the Centre for Global Studies.
Sir Christopher Meyer Sir Christopher was a senior British diplomat in Moscow during the height of the Cold War. During his posting he spent time in the Caucuses, especially Azerbaijan and Geogia. He went on to become one of the most senior diplomats at the Foreign Office, serving as Ambassador in Germany and Washington DC. Sir Christopher was also the Press Secretary to Prime Minister John Major. He is currently Chairman of the Press complaints Commission.