“It Takes Three to Tango”: Georgia’s Engagement in Trilateral Formats as Part of the Eastern Partnership

Abstract

Abstract Drawing on the case of Georgia, this article seeks to understand better how the EU’s partners adjust to the uncertainty of the EU’s offer as part of the Eastern Partnership, and how their identification narratives evolve in response to this indeterminacy. We use the concept of liminality to capture the imprecision of the EU’s offer and the state of in-betweenness of the EU’s associated partners. Through an analysis of Georgia’s identification practices, we then shed light on how Georgian elites have pushed for an identity-driven self-representation as a key political strategy vis-à-vis the EU. We argue that such repositioning and, more recently, the tactical use of the Association Trio reflect Georgia’s approach to developing its agency in response to uncertainty.