Seven foreign heads of state to attend Georgia's Independence Day
Georgia will celebrate the centenary since the first Republic on 26 May.
The heads of state of seven countries will come to Georgia to participate in ceremonious events on Georgia’s Independence Day.
The heads of state were invited by the president of Georgia. Twenty additional high-ranking delegations from various countries will also be present. The heads of state of Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Armenia, Poland and Slovakia are expected at the event.
“This is entirely without precedent, Georgia has never seen anything like this. Tbilisi has never welcomed so many heads of state at the same time. The upcoming 26 May event will be different from that of other years in this regard,” said the head of the presidential administration Giorgi Abashishvili.
Moreover, on 26 May the Krynica Eastern-European Economic Forum will also be held in Georgia.
The presidential administration explained that the initiative of the president will increase the country’s profile and will enable it to attract European investors. According to Abashishvili, the forum will be opened by the presidents of Georgia, Poland, Slovakia and the PM of Georgia.
The European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, will also attend on 26 May. He may be accompanied by the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
Preparations for 26 May have already begun in Tbilisi and in other regions. The central streets of the capital have already been decorated with celebratory banners. Rustaveli Avenue will be closed on this day to vehicle traffic as per tradition. Over the course of the day celebrations, concerts and other entertainment programmes will be held, and markets will also be present.
The National Council of Georgia passed a bill In Tbilisi for the country’s independence. The Democratic Republic of Georgia, whose independence was recognised by the leading European states, existed for only three years after which it was occupied by Russia. Georgia became independent once again on 9 April 1991, some seventy years later.
