Published: 10 February 2015 г.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and
Georgia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which creates the foundations for the organisation of the
2015 EBRD Annual Meeting which will take place in Tbilisi on 13, 14 and 15 May 2105.
The event will be the EBRD’s 24th Annual Meeting and the first time the conference will be held in the Caucasus region. Georgia applied to host the event and was chosen in recognition of the country’s progress in the reform process. In addition, Georgia is a regional hub with significant potential in sectors like transport, infrastructure and energy.
The Annual Meeting is the most important event in the annual cycle of the EBRD. A central part is the meeting of the Board of Governors, the Bank’s highest decision-making body, assessing the Bank’s performance and setting future strategic directions.
The conference also includes the Business Forum, a gathering of business representatives, investors, government officials and media who engage in panel discussions and networking events. In addition, the Annual Meeting comprises a
civil society programme, a donors’ meeting and is complemented by auxiliary events.
The Memorandum of Understanding sets out the responsibilities with regard to the organisation, planning and delivery of the Annual Meeting. Both parties express their commitment to a successful event which is expected to bring up to 2,000 participants to Georgia, a country famous for its hospitality.
EBRD Secretary General Enzo Quattrociocche said at the signing in Tbilisi: “We are very pleased to sign this agreement today as it illustrates the excellent cooperation we are enjoying with the Georgian authorities. Preparations of this year’s Annual Meeting are making good progress and we are confident that the event in May will be a big success for guests and the host.”
H.E. Nodar Khaduri, Minister of Finance of Georgia and EBRD Governor for Georgia noted that “it is very important achievement that we succeeded in our application to host the Annual Meeting of EBRD in Georgia in 2015. It will be the first event of such scale in the Caucasus region. We may proudly say that Georgia will be the epicentre of global importance in May 2015, giving us the opportunity of attracting investments of unprecedented significance”.
The EBRD is the largest institutional investor in Georgia. Since the beginning of its operations, the EBRD has invested approximately ?2.2 billion in over 170 projects. The Bank focuses on supporting the private sector; investing in energy sector projects and investing in infrastructure, logistics, telecommunications and the financial sector to support cross-border economic activities.