ICC-Georgia hosts European Union journalists, shares view on country’s strong economic development

The FINANCIAL — The ICC-Georgia Board of Directors hosted a business lunch for a group of 16 European Union journalists on April 18 at Kopala.

The EU journalists were in Georgia to take a first-hand look at the country’s democratic and economic development, and survey the relevance of the European Neighbourhood Policy for Georgia.

The journalists wanted to meet with the Georgian business community. ICC-Georgia’s Board, made up of foremost members of the country’s business community, was the perfect point of contact.

Crucial topics were covered at the lunch, including Georgia’s strong investment climate and prospects; the country’s progress since the Rose Revolution; relations with Russia; Georgian taxation issues; the country’s NATO membership bid and the events of November 2007.

The informed, active discussion gave the journalists a wide and sophisticated perspective on Georgia’s economic development.

Mr. Fady Asly, Chairman of the Board, raised the issue of international coverage of the events of November 2007, emphasizing that some media groups purposefully exaggerated in their coverage the events intensity which raise question marks about their professional ethics and independence.

The journalists, in Georgia from April 17-20, represented leading media outlets from Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.