PM Bakhtadze meets with Georgian diaspora in the US

Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze has met with representatives of the Georgian diaspora at the Georgian embassy in Washington D.C yesterday to discuss the importance of the diaspora’s involvement in the events ongoing in Georgia.

“I also used to live abroad and know best what it means to hear news from your homeland”, he said, adding that ideas from originating in the diaspora are priceless in the success of the country.

“People are our major wealth. Each Georgian is an asset of our country and we are obliged to consolidate their efforts. Otherwise we will not be able to address the challenges we are facing,” he said, adding that the preservation of Georgian language among the Georgian diaspora will be highly prioritised in 2019.

PM Bakhtadze has spoken about the Georgian government’s efforts to achieve a ‘historic goal’ to make Georgia a member of the European family as well as strengthening cooperation with the US and NATO.

“My visit to the US is successful and I am sure that we will have very important results by next summer considering the new agenda we have in our bilateral cooperation...I openly tell all our citizens that we will not be able to join the developed economies unless we make fundamental changes in education. The reforms will be intensive and at some point painful but it is necessary. The same approach applies to the economy as well. Georgia’s [former] economic model could hardly address existing challenges. This was an injustice. So we want to introduce fair rules into the economy. I am happy that we have the full support of our strategic partner in this regard,” PM Bakhtarze added.

He said the Georgian government has an ‘ambitious package of the reforms’ for making Georgia a regional leader and hub in doing business, which could be significantly supported by a potential free trade deal with the US.

While expressing his gratitude towards the Georgian diaspora for their efforts to represent Georgia in the US, PM Bakhtadze said that he hopes his first visit to the US will move US-Georgia relations to a ‘completely new level’.