INVEST IN GEORGIA Business Forum Held in Frankfurt

Business forum “Invest in Georgia” was held in Frankfurt, Germany on June 17 organized by the Georgian National Investment Agency (GNIA) and the Tbilisi Municipality. The event was dedicated to a discussion of investment opportunities in Georgia, and an economic and investment climate overview. The forum brought together members of Georgian and German governmental bodies, as well as representatives of the Georgian private sector who presented investment opportunities and met with representatives of leading German business companies in order to establish business ties.

The forum was opened by Mr. Volker Hoff, the Minister of Federal Affairs of Germany. Tamuna Liluashvili, the GNIA Director, acquainted those present with Georgia’s attractive business opportunities and investment climate. She spoke about Georgia’s recent achievements in the reforms that make the country quite attractive for foreign investors.    

Gigi Ugulava, Tbilisi Mayor, spoke about cooperation between Frankfurt and Tbilisi and presented investment opportunities in the Georgian capital. According to him, the annual growth of Tbilisi’s economic turnover stands at 30 percent, while the capital generates as much as 60 percent of the country’s national economic turnover and a half of Georgia’s commercial economic workplaces.

Presentations at the business forum were made by Alex Bolkvadze, a partner in Business and Legal Consulting (BLC), David Borger, Business Developer at Silk Road Group, who introduced investment opportunities in Georgia’s real estate sector, also infrastructure and tourism projects, as well as Sascha Terner, Director of ProCredit Bank, who provided information about the rapid development of Georgia’s banking sector. Ivan Khokhlov, a partner at DLA Piper, and Zurab Nikvashvili, a partner at Ernst & Young, made presentations on the issue of doing business in Georgia, focusing on legal and tax matters and economic overview. Mamuka Tsakadze, the General Director of Centerpoint Group, spoke about investment opportunities in Tbilisi in the booming real estate sector. Another presentation was made by Axel Bommersheim, the Senior Relationship Manager and Senior Vice President of Commerzbank.