Dr. Nikoloz Esitashvili is a Professor at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) and a Chief Scientist at the Scientific Research Center of the David Aghmashenebeli National Defence Academy of Georgia. He holds a PhD in IR from Florida International University. He is interested in ontological security and how states construct, maintain, and negotiate their identities through relationships with other states. Dr. Esitashvili’s current research examines Russia’s foreign policy toward Georgia and the South Caucasus, with particular attention to narratives of international order, identity, historical experience, and patterns of friendship and enmity. More broadly, he examines how political and economic relationships shape states’ perceptions of themselves and others, and how these relationships influence foreign policy behavior and security practices.

Keywords: Ontological Security, Identity, Foreign Policy, IR Theory, Security Studies, International political economy, and Political psychology