Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili today met representatives of the Georgian Diaspora in Turkey as part of his ongoing visit to the country. The meeting at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul was emotional, as Diaspora representatives held a special concert for the visiting Georgian leader and gave him various gifts.

The assembled ethnic Georgians residing in Turkey asked the president to pay frequent visits to the neighbouring country while Saakashvili said that compatriots living in Turkey were "children of Georgia" who have never forgotten their historical homeland. The president also spoke to a group of Turkey-based Georgian businessmen who are investing significant sums in Georgia.

"You are people who will never create problems for our ally Turkey. You are a very important part of the political, cultural and economic elite of Turkey, which is one of the most important countries in the world. On the first day of my visit to Turkey I was hosted by Nuretin Carmikli, who as you know is one of the world's most famous Turkish businessmen. He is in fact of Georgian origin.

"Today I attended a conference in which world leaders discussed energy issues. The conference was organized by Mikha Gogitidze. He is truly a leading figure in Turkish business and industry circles. We are now at one of the top hotels in Istanbul, which is the main city in Turkey and the whole region. This hotel is owned by a Georgian. I just met RAO YeEs' [Russian electricity distribution company] representative in Turkey, who is also a Georgian. In short, Georgians are everywhere and they are doing quite well for themselves," Saakashvili said.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia