Tbilisi Hopeful of Merkel’s Upcoming Visit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Tbilisi this Thursday as part of her trip to the South Caucasus on August 23-25, discussing a wide range of political, economic, and foreign policy issues with Georgian leaders.

Speaking to reporters on August 20, Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani said the upcoming visit proves that Georgia has “an important place in German political agenda.”

“Germany is an active supporter of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations… Merkel’s visit once again highlights the depth of [our] cooperation [and] that Georgia is among the priorities of Germany’s political agenda,” Minister Zalkaliani said.

Davit Zalkaliani added that Merkel will be accompanied by a group of German businesspeople, who will attend a joint Georgian-German business forum in Tbilisi. The minister hopes that the event will contribute to intensifying economic exchange between the two countries.

At a press briefing on August 17, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze underscored that the visit of “the head of one of the leading European states, is yet another confirmation that Georgia remains a trusted and a reliable partner for Europe.”

Sozar Subari, PM’s adviser on regional issues, spoke on the matter as well, saying Germany – “one of the leading European countries” – has been among Georgia’s “oldest allies,” and that the visit is of “high importance, with very important issues to be discussed.”

This will be the German Chancellor’s first visit to Georgia after the Russo-Georgia War in 2008. It also comes less a week after Angela Merkel’s meeting with Vladimir Putin.