President Margvelashvili urges Georgian Jews in Israel to invest in Georgia

Georgia's President Giorgi Margvelashvili is calling on Georgian Jews in Israel to invest in Georgia.

Margvelashvili met members of the Georgian Jewish community in Israel during his official visit to the Middle Eastern country.

The President underlined Georgia was one of the best countries in the world to do business, with its low corruption rate and liberal tax system.

"When people think about Georgia they think about a little country with four million citizens but in reality these people, who are investing in Georgia, have the possibility to reach the 500-million market of the European Union,” Margvelashvili said.

"They also have a chance of entering the Turkish market, as Georgia has signed a free trade agreement with Turkey. The possibility of entering the markets of ex-Soviet countries is also presented there. So, the businessmen who are thinking about investing in Georgia will have the possibility to trade in market with about a billion consumers”.

Margvelashvili noted the Georgian-Jewish people were a "serious recourse” for Georgia, as they represented "one of the strongest and successful groups” in Israel.

Georgian Jews in Israel are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of Georgian Jewish communities who now reside in Israel. They numbered around 80,000.

Meanwhile Georgian Jews are one of the oldest communities in Georgia, tracing their migration into the country during the Babylonian era in the 6th Century BC.

The 2600-year history of the Georgian Jews was marked by an almost total absence of anti-semitism and a visible assimilation in the Georgian language and culture.

Read Agenda.ge's article about how Georgian Jews live in Tbilisi here: Hanukkah in Tbilisi

The community has largely emigrated to Israel, the United States (US), the Russian Federation and Belgium.

While in Israel the Georgian President also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Georgian President Margvelashvili and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meet in Israel. Photo by the President's Press Office. 

The parties discussed the issue of Georgia's occupied territories, Russian-Georgian relations, global security issues, economic relations and the positive friendship between the Georgian and Israeli people.

While discussing economic relations, Margvelashvili said for Georgia it was very important to learn from Israel's experience in the fields of development of roads, railways and marine-transport infrastructure, as well as agriculture, technology and tourism.

Security issues was also on the agenda; Margvelashvili said Georgia-Israel cooperation in "such an unpredictable environment” was the key to future success.

President Margvelashvili was accompanied to Israel by his wife Maka Chichua who visited Israeli children hospitals. Photo by the President's Press Office.

The Georgian President wrapped up his Israel visit by hosting an informal meeting with local students earlier today.