On November 17, 2011 the world known British magazine the Economist gathered experts and politicians in Tbilisi to discuss and analyze Georgias investment environment and perspectives. The event took place at the Radisson Blu Iveria hotel.
Among the Georgian speakers were prime minister Nika Gilauri, Finance Minister Dimitry Gvindadze, and Vera Kobalia, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. As for foreign speakers the conference was participated by Asad Alam, country director at the South Caucasus Country Department, Paul-Henry Forester, EBRD country director for Moldova, Caucasus and Belarus, Tom de Waal, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment.
"The conference is dedicated to reforms, economic growth. In the condition, when the world economic situation is not so simple, this fact points out that Georgia has been formed as a leader of reforms in our Region, and is a country of a good macroeconomic picture. Accordingly, our neighbouring countries can learn much from us in light of reforms. Today's meeting, conference, is dedicated to this.” said Prime Minister thanking the organizers of the conference.
Just prior to the event on November 16 a press conference was conducted by Dougal Thomson Head of the Conference Program CEMEA of the Economist Group and the chairman of The Economist Conference in Tbilisi. Mr. Thomson noted: “We are not here to tell investors to invest in Georgia, we are here to talk openly and critically about the investment problems and possibilities in Georgia. If we will be able to make Georgia more successful in terms of investments, we will be very happy about it,”
“If The Economist is in Georgia holding this conference, it means that they see a big potential in this country,” Keti Bochorishvili, director of Georgian National Investment Agency, said at press conference.
