On November 29th the America-Georgia Business Council, in Collaboration with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, held its 21st annual conference in Philadelphia. The title of the conference was The Growing US-Georgian Partnership: Security, Trade, Investment.

The speakers included: Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Genadi Arveladze, Director of the Russia, Ukraine and the Eurasia office of the Department of Commerce Matthew Edwards, Ambassador of Georgia to the United States, David Bakradze, Deputy Vice-President of the Millenium challenge corporation Caroline Nguen, Director for the Project Finance at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation Kenneth Angel. The panels were moderated by Non-resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council Mark Simakovsky, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Georgia in the USA George Tsikolia, and President of the America-Georgia Business Council Mamuka Tsereteli.

Georgia’s success in the Index of Economic Freedom presented by the The The Heritage Foundation’s Antony Kim, underlined the importance of strengthening the US-Georgia economic partnership by expanding trade through the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement.

The CEO of the Rustavi Steele Mr.Nugzar Kachukhashvili and the funder of the Birthplace of Wine Experience Jason Pack shared private sector perspective on potential development, as well as policy challenges.

The conference was concluded with the special presentation by Dr.Patrick MacGovern on origins of wine, followed by Georgian wine and food reception.

The conference has highlighted necessity of elevation of the bilateral economic and trade relationships to the next level, focusing on US-Georgia Trade and Economic Partnership agreement.