Businessmen meeting the Minister of Economy to Speak about Georgian Investment Climate and Privatization Process

16 Apr '10

Representatives of the BAG member companies and invitees met the Minister of Economy of Georgia, Zurab Pololikashvili and Deputy Director of National Investment Agency, Goga Khabelashvili at Sheraton Metekhi Palace Hotel on April 16.

Expert Alexandre Rondelli was invited to the meeting to speak about political processes ongoing in the region and risks existing there.

As pointed out by the BAG President Giorgi Chirakadze in his welcoming speech, the meeting aimed at establishing close relations and format of cooperation with the Ministry of Economy to support businessmen to more effectively solve the problems and tasks facing them.

In his turn the Minister emphasized that the businessmen's relations with the Ministry should be further simplified and to this end cooperation with the BAG is a good opportunity.

As stated by Mr. Pololikashvili, the MoE is actively working outside the country to attract even more investments, organize business forums to familiarize foreign businessmen with Georgia's investment potential; involvement of BAG's, including  of its member companies' specific projects, in this process will be counter productive. Organization of business forums in Israel, India and Korea are planned in the nearest future of which the Business Association and its members will be informed in advance and if they take interest will be able to participate in these events.

As for privatization, the MoE is planning to make the process more transparent and for the purposes of its informational support special information centre will be set up in the nearest future to present as much as possible information about the sites to be privatized.

Representative of the investment agency, Mr. Khabelashvili provided the participants with the presentation on the agency's work aiming at popularization of country's investment climate. According to him, it is planned to open a new commercial portal and to create catalogues to ensure access of interested persons to the information.

Alexandre Rondelli made a speech about Georgia's foreign and domestic policy, the situation existing in the region and future prospects.

As assessed by him, for the last years the issue of Georgia region-wide retains its relevance for the West and support in this part has not decreased. After the war, the relations with Russian Federation remains difficult; however, renewed armed conflict is less probable in the nearest future. 

In his speech Mr. Rondelli emphasized that balance of forces in the region gradually change and Turkey's role and prospects are increasingly firming up.

In closing, the Association's President and Minister agreed to set up BAG and MoE joint working group in the nearest future within the framework of which contacts between the businessmen and this agency will intensify and joint efforts will enable solution of various significant problems.