Official duties dominate the birthday of President Giorgi Margvelashvili

It might be his 46th birthday but the President of Georgia is keeping busy with official meetings and duties today.

Today President Giorgi Margvelashvili hosted Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende and discussed trade and economic bilateral relations as well as cooperation prospects in energy and cultural fields. and discussed trade and economic bilateral relations as well as cooperation prospects in energy and cultural fields.

Norway’s Foreign Minister Borge Brende and  President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili. Photo by President of Georgias webpage. 

The Georgian President informed his foreign guest about Russia’s ongoing aggressive steps on Georgian soil and the continuation of its creeping occupation policy, stated the President’s press service.

The meeting took place within the Tbilisi Ambassadorial, which began on September 2 and will end later this evening. During the past three days Georgian officials working locally and abroad rubbed shoulders with foreign guests at the event. 

Prior to addressing the Ambassadorial event, Georgian officials, foreign and local Ambassadors jointly congratulated President Margvelashvili on his birthday with loud applause. 

In his speech Margvelashvili spoke about the importance of unanimity and informing Georgian diplomats about Georgian issues in a timely manner. 

It is very important when an Ambassador informs the authorities of the country where he/she serves timely concerning the ongoing issues in Georgia,” said Margvelashvili. 

When the country has a common foreign course and Ambassadors do their job appropriately the foreign community is well informed about the situation in Georgia,” he added.

During the Ambassadorial the President also announced he would sign the controversial National Bank of Georgia (NBG) bill he vetoed on July 31. His veto was overridden by Parliament yesterday and was sent back to him to sign. 

Margvelashvili emphasised that he "respected” the opinion of the country’s legislative body and the responsibility of Parliament regarding the bill, which envisaged depriving NBG of his supervisory functions to other financial institutions in the country. 

Now signing the bill has a symbolic meaning because if I refuse to do it then the Parliament Speaker will do it and the bill will come into effect.” 

I could refuse to sign it if it concerned the rough violation of some international, human value,” he added. 

In Parliament yesterday, with 81 votes for and 12 against, the majority managed to overcome the President’s veto and reject Margvelashvili’s remarks that aimed to preserve the supervisory function of NBG. 

The President claimed the bill could threaten the Bank’s independence. 

Since the veto was overruled, a separate Financial Supervisory Agency would be established and governed by a seven member Board to replace NBG’s currently authority over other financial institutions in Georgia.

NBG president and one member of the central bank’s Board will take two seats; five other seats will be occupied by candidates nominated by the Government and confirmed by Parliament. The head of the Agency will be nominated by Board members and later confirmed by Parliament.