President Saakashvili to address opening session
COPENHAGEN, 10 May 2012 – Nearly 250 participants including more than 100 parliamentarians from 30 countries will convene in Batumi, Georgia 11-14 May for a conference focused on fostering economic co-operation, sustainable development and stability in the OSCE region.
The sessions begin at 10:00 on Saturday, 12 May at the Batumi Sheraton.
Conference speakers will include:
- OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Petros Efthymiou (Greece)
- President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia
- Chairman of the Georgian Parliament David Bakradze
- Prime Minister Nika Gilauri of Georgia
- Andrei Illarionov (Russia), Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute
- Kathleen Ferrier (The Netherlands), OSCE PA Special Representative on Migration
- Goran Svilanovic (Serbia), OSCE Co-ordinator of Economic and Environmental Activities
- Eustathios Lozos (Greece), Chairman of the OSCE Economic and Environmental Committee
Other speakers from parliaments, governments, the private sector, inter-governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations will also address the conference.
Discussions will focus on strengthening energy security and efficiency, creating a transparent investment environment, addressing security challenges through economic policy, expanding transportation and tourism development, and growing small- and medium-sized enterprises.
All sessions of the economic conference are open to the media. Journalists must present a valid ID at the conference check-in desk to receive a press pass for the event. For interview requests, contact Neil Simon or Maka Giguari.
