The President of Georgia participated in the opening ceremony of the head office of the Bank of Georgia today. The Head of State addressed the employees and talked about successful management of the bank. During his speech, the President focused on the architectural value of the building, the appearance of which he called a symbol of the rebuilding of Georgia. “This building is considered one of the architectural masterpieces of the world. It is in line with the epoch of rebuilding, which we are all creating together in Georgia” – stated Mikheil Saakashvili.

He focused attention on the recent economic advancement, management of the banking sector, and the success of the Bank of Georgia at the London Stock Exchange. The President referred to an article in the Financial Times, which compared the Bank of Georgia to three Russian companies and noted that it is one of the most successful banks at the London Stock Exchange.

The Financial Times wrote about the success of the Georgian Bank. According to the article, the difference between the Bank of Georgia and Russian banks is that the Bank of Georgia is based on healthy economic markers, while the Russian companies are solely based on resources; aside from resources they have no intellectual or organizational capacity. “We got rid of the system they are based on in 2003.” – noted Mikheil Saakashvili.

The President also talked about overcoming unemployment, modernization plans, the necessity of re-training people in the age group of 45-60, and the influence of the Russian embargo. According to him, this hit was a motivation to strengthen Georgia, because the country overcame the artificial obstacles created by Russia on its own. “Georgia must become an economic center, an independent player, which will define its destiny on its own, set standards and hence the rules of the game for the entire region” – stated Mikheil Saakashvili.

At the end of his speech, the President also mentioned the necessity of signing an agreement regarding free trade with the European Union and drew attention to the success that has been made in this direction.

After the speech, Mikheil Saakashvili toured the work rooms of the head office of the Bank of Georgia, equipped with ultra modern technologies; accompanied by the President of the bank, the Minister of Finance, and the Chairman of the National Bank.

16 administrative units of the Bank of Georgia have been relocated to the new building, where more than 600 people will work.

The building designed by Giorgi Chakhava and Zurab Jalagania in 1975, where the Bank of Georgia has been relocated, remains as one of the most important architectural monuments of the world.