The President of Georgia participated in the economic forum held in Catalonia. In his speech he extensively discussed about the investment climate and economy in Georgia. He met the leading business people in Barcelona. In the frames of his visit he met the head of the government of Catalonia Khose Montinia. The President of Barcelona football team Khuan Laporta held a special reception in Mikheil Saakashvili's favor. It was decided that Barcelona would open a football school for the children who suffered during the Russian aggression in Georgia. The President of Georgia met the Mayor of Barcelona. Mikheil Saakashvili asked the Mayor to assign land in Barcelona for Georgians where a church would be built for the Georgian Diaspora.

"For the last three years Georgia progressed greatly. The reforms are successful and our economy develops. Our trade turnover is increased by 150 percent. Georgia has become an attractive country for the investors and I can say that it will be among the ten countries who will less suffer from the global economic crisis. We can not exclude the fact that Georgia will enter the list of the countries of the highest growing economies. If the banking systems in the Ukraine and Russia are practically destroyed it still very actively works in our country. Not so long ago many skeptics used to say that the processes developing in Georgia presented the project of the Bush administration. America has a new leadership today, but their attitude towards Georgia has not changed. When Russia was bombing Georgia Jo Biden arrived in Tbilisi and expressed his support towards Georgian people. It was his very initiative to issue a billion dollar assistance for Georgia in order to give us a chance to overcome the results of the Russian aggression. In spite of existing difficulties little by little we are moving forward and are sure that Georgia as an independent state will continue its development", Mikheil Saakashvili stated.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia