The Hill: “Young democracy looks forward”

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze has penned an opinion piece about the future of Georgia ahead of his first official trip to Washington, D.C. to forge closer ties within the existing strong relations between Georgia and the United States (US).

In the piece for American political newspaper The Hill, Janelidze details the efforts Georgia is taking to raise awareness of the economic opportunities in Georgia for US firms, especially those involved in agricultural production, logistics, manufacturing and hydropower generation.

The Georgia of today stands out in its region for many reasons: It is an island of stability, democracy and liberty; it is a reliable contributor to international security; and it is a dynamic hub for regional and cross-continental trade. International organizations give Georgia top marks for ease of doing business. Georgia is increasingly growing as a tourism destination, with more than 5 million visitors in 2014 — more visitors than actual Georgians. And yet Georgia is only just realizing its full potential through increased connectivity with the global community.”

He noted the Georgian Government recently laid out "a bold agenda” for economic development that would make the country an even better place to do business, and the piece goes on to detail how the authorities would do this.

Furthermore, Janelidze explains this year the Government aims to make local politics more inclusive of the civil sector, the country’s European aspirations and its strong relations with NATO, as well as the ongoing challenges it faces with Russia occupying 20 percent of Georgian territory.

He ended the piece by saying like the US, despite the progress made Georgia was "also an unfinished story.

We are a young democracy that has made tremendous advances in the past 25 years,” sayd Janelidze.

Building on our past successes, I am optimistic that we will establish Georgian-American relations as a pillar of regional economic development, democratic progress and security cooperation. Together, we will bring greater stability to a part of the world where it is sorely needed.”

Read the full article here: www.thehill.com