On Tuesday January 25th a well attended business forum was hosted in the Czech Chamber of Commerce offices at Florentinum, Prague. The focus of the event was Georgia, a mountainous country in the Caucasus, known for great hospitality and top rankings in ease of doing business.
The event was opened by the Georgian Ambassador to the Czech Republic H.E. Mariam Rakviashvili by describing the openness of Georgia towards attracting international business actors and investors to the country. Czech Republic is one of the strongest supporters of Georgia’s Euro-integration and it is translated into the bold financial support which facilitates the process of implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with EU which is a road map of the development of Georgia. Georgia is considered one of NATO’s most important allies and a key participant in the Eastern Partnership. Embassy of Georgia to the Czech Republic (mfa.gov.ge)
Next in line was the President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce Vladimir Dlouhy who presented the many successful investments Czech companies have made over the years, and the close state ties between the two countries. In fact, Czech companies have been so successful in their investments that the country ranks in the top five FDI contributions to the Georgian economy.
The next speaker was Mikheil Khidureli, Director, and Enterprise Georgia, who is responsible for supporting business investments in the country. Mr. Khidureli outlined an almost endless list of top ratings the country has achieved in terms of ease of doing business (7th), speed of setting up shop, or building permits (days). Georgia boasts very low tax rates (3rd), a highly educated English speaking population, and according to Transparency International, a corruption rating in-line with the Czech Republic; impressive for the region in general. There is a lot of support from the government and Mr. Khidureli is the person that can tie investors to those in country and government support programs. Your correspondent interviewed Mr. Khidureli after the event and the focus of investments are in Energy and Hospitality, but there are a long list of opportunities in other areas as well. With capital markets being prepared, Georgia is on the cusp of something great. [email protected]
Closing the amazing presentations and information was Nino Mchedlidze, President, Czech-Georgian Chamber of Commerce. To further support FDI and curating investors and business people within the communities, Ms. Mchedlidze has taken over the Presidency of the CGCC and is relaunching new energy into the Chamber. The membership is open to everyone interested and there were rumors circulating that a trade mission was in the works for 2022 – a dream country to visit for business and entertainment. For more information contact [email protected]
Naturally the Georgian hosts did not disappoint with a nice assortment of Georgian specialties and wine available for tasting. When is the next event please?
