Georgia’s PM pays official visit to Germany

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is in Berlin on an official visit which includes a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today.

After the planned meeting, the German and Georgian leaders will hold a joint press conference.

Earlier this morning Georgia’s Prime Minister met with representatives of the Korber Foundation, where Garibashvili introduced the German politicians about the reforms recently implemented in Georgia and the country’s economic achievements.

Garibashvili also spoke about the issues facing Georgia’s integration into the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Alliance (NATO).

Later today, Garibashvili will attend a conference organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. In Germany he also planned to meet President of the German Parliament Norbert Lammert.

A main part of his visit will include attending the Georgian-German Business Forum, where Garibashvili will address about 100 representatives from German businesses and speak about the current business environment in Georgia.

At the end of Garibashvili’s official visit, he will attend an event a cultural event dedicated to the special relationship between Germany and Georgia. There, PM Garibashvili, Germany’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the President of Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation will deliver speeches.

Meanwhile, it is believed PM Garibashvili will hand over two 18^th Century books that were taken from Germany during the World War II to Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

German newspaper Deutsche Welle reported the books were part of the oldest German books discovered at Tbilisi University Library in 2006.

Deutsche Welle said handing over these books to the Berlin Museum would be a symbolic start of returning stolen books and reestablishing the German book collection. The newspaper’s Sunday report said the handing over ceremony would be held at Berlin’s Bode Museum today.

In Germany Georgia’s PM is being accompanied by Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze, vice Prime Minister and Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alex Petriashvili, Agriculture Minister Shalva Pipia, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Elguja Khokrishvili and vice-speaker of Parliament Manana Kobakhidze.