Georgia’s Prime Minister departs for NY to voice country’s progress at UN

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili will use one of the globe’s most prestigious tribunes – the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York – to let the world know about some of the achievements his country has enjoyed during the past 12 months.

The PM will also talk about the main challenges Georgia, and the world, face today.

Last year UN members adopted a universal plan to better the world by setting 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for the 2030 Agenda.

Later this week at the UNGA’s 71st session on September 21, Kvirikashvili will share some reflections from Georgia’s perspective of implementing these goals.

Georgia's highest official departed for New York, the United States (US) earlier today. In addition to speaking at the UNGA’s main event, Kvirikashvili will deliver a speech at several other side events too.

E-governance, Transparency and Public Services

For the first time in history, Georgia will co-host a high level international meeting within the UNGA’s session today. Other co-hosts of the meeting were Estonia, Korea and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The event was titled E-governance, Transparency and Public Services and will focus on creation of strong institutions.

Kvirikashvili will talk about Georgia’s experience in good governance and the country’s reforms to ensure efficient public services in front of high ranking officials from across the globe and leaders of prestigious international organisations.

Some of the guests expected to attend the session include President of Estonia, Foreign Minister of Korea, Vice Prime Minister of Belgium, Foreign Minister of Latvia, Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and Information Technologies, Finland’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, also high officials from the US, Jordan, Mexico, Switzerland, Philippines and other states.

Global issues from Georgia's perspective

Georgia's Prime Minister will speak about global issues too when he talks at a Plenary Meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants.

In addition to these UN General Assembly events, Kvirikashvili will speak at two other side occasions:

• High Level Event on Open Governance Partnership (OGP), five year celebration, hosted by South Africa and France;
• High Level Meeting on Innovative Financing for 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Planned bilateral meetings 

In the US Georgia’s Prime Minister was scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with top UN and European officials. Kvirikashvili will meet:

• UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon;
• US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken;
• German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier;
• Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel;
• European Council President Donald Tusk;
• European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini;
• Slovakian President Andrej Kiska; and
• Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip.

Negotiations were also scheduled with the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Dana Hyde.