GREECE: Georgia invites Greece to open businesses in the country as Tbilisi strives to attract EU investment

Record ID: 643425

  • Title: GREECE: Georgia invites Greece to open businesses in the country as Tbilisi strives to attract EU investment
  • Date: 23rd April 2014
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (APRIL 23 2014) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING GREEK, GEORGIAN AND EU FLAGS GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MAIA PANJIKEDZE SHAKING HANDS WITH GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER EVANGELOS VENIZELOS VENIZELOS AND PANJIKEDZE WALKING TO HIS OFFICE VARIOUS OF THE TWO MINISTERS SITTING FOR TALKS THE TWO MINISTERS ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MAIA PANJIKIDZE, SAYING: "I invited Mr. Vice Prime Minister to visit Georgia with a business delegation to promote the possibilities of making business in Georgia because the DCFTA , which is the integral part of the association agreement with the European Union will open new perspectives for development of business relations with the EU member states, and we hope very much that this will make Georgia more attractive for direct foreign investors, and we are ready to promote our business possibilities." TWO MINISTERS STANDING FOR STATEMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GEORGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, MAIA PANJIKIDZE, SAYING: "Georgia has a very good ranking in World Bank ranking, in easiness in doing business in the country, so the business is free from political pressure and it is a very good environment, business climate, in Georgia." TWO MINISTERS STANDING FOR STATEMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER, EVANGELOS VENIZELOS, SAYING: "The discussion was exceptionally friendly and pleasant, and I think today we created the preconditions for a real deepening of our bilateral relations, a deepening of the relations between Greece and Georgia." MINISTERS SHAKING HANDS VARIOUS OF BOTH DELEGATIONS SITTING FOR ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS, VENIZELOS AND PANJIKIDZE SITTING ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER, BOTH FLAGS IN THE MIDDLE OF TABLE
  • Embargoed: 8th May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Business,International Relations,Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5OALGT1Z5YV6HRABK3V2QOG6T
  • Story Text: Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze encouraged Greece on Wednesday (April 23) to open business in her country during a formal visit to Athens.
    Panjikidze invited Greek Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos to Georgia for an official visit as the two discussed the expansion of economic and trade ties.
    Panjikidze thanked Greece for supporting the country's European and euro-atlantic aspirations. In June 2014 Georgia and the European Union will sign an Association Agreement, opening the way for closer economic integration with the EU.
    "I invited Mr. Vice Prime Minister to visit Georgia with a business delegation to promote the possibilities of making business in Georgia because the DCFTA , which is the integral part of the Association Agreement with the European Union will open new perspectives for development of business relations with the EU member states, and we hope very much that this will make Georgia more attractive for direct foreign investors, and we are ready to promote our business possibilities," said Panjikidze following a meeting with Venizelos.
    The European Union and Georgia have concluded negotiations for a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), as part of the Association Agreement, which will open markets on both sides for export and investment.
    "Georgia has a very good ranking in World Bank ranking, in easiness in doing business in the country, so the business is free from political pressure and it is a very good environment, business climate, in Georgia," said Panjikidze.
    Greek businesses do exist in Georgia, but are not enough, said Panjikidze.
    The two ministers said they also discussed cultural and educational cooperation, and the situation in the Ukraine, but did not go into any details.
    "The discussion was exceptionally friendly and pleasant, and I think today we created the preconditions for a real deepening of our bilateral relations, a deepening of the relations between Greece and Georgia," said Venizelos.
    Greece and Georgia have had diplomatic relations since 1992. It is the first visit of Panjikidze to Greece.
    There is an Institute of Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the University of Tbilisi, while Greek is taught in some schools in Georgia. There are 150,000 Georgians that live in Greece, while the Greek community of Georgia is about 15,000.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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