[MakkabI]
July 30th, 2004, 05:18 PM
Georgia is interested in deepening the level of cooperation with Israel's defense industries, President Mikhail Saakashvili said Thursday evening, including cooperation in joint ventures that could be marketed to third countries.
Saakashvili, who was accompanied on his first trip to Israel by his foreign, defense, and finance ministers, said there is good cooperation between the countries on defense issues.
"We were talking to Israel's defense industries," he said at a press briefing before departing. "We do import some products from the Israeli defense industry, but would like joint ventures for common markets."
He said there is currently a joint Israeli-Georgian enterprise that upgrades old Soviet planes.
In addition to meeting Thursday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Saakashvili met Thursday with the heads of Israel Military Industries, Israel Aircraft Industries, and Elbit.
The 37-year-old president, who led protests that swept Eduard Shevardnadze from office last November in what has come to be know as the Rose Revolution, said the delegation he brought to Israel was the largest he has taken anywhere, including to the US and Russia, and shows the "growth potential" in ties with Israel.
In 2003 the amount of trade between the two countries stood at a paltry $4 million, but Saakashvili said he sees potential in joint business ventures, as well as in tourism.
"Georgia is two hours away from Israel," Saakashvili said, sounding like a tour operator. "We have an extremely hospitable environment, ski resorts, swim resorts, site seeing, lots of culture and history, and friendly people toward Jews."
The problem, one Israeli government official said, is that the poverty-stricken country does not have a tourist infrastructure, and its capital, Tbilisi, only has two hotels that meet western standards.
Saakashvili said that while the 120,000-strong Georgian Jewish community in Israel represents a good bridge between the countries, it is time to develop the ties beyond just the Jewish angle into full-blown, state-to-state relations.
Saakashvili, who put the number of Georgians living in Russia at 500,000, and in Turkey at some 3 million, said proudly that a number of prominent members of the Georgian diaspora are returning home.
"An important sign is that a lot of Georgians are coming back – business people, people in the arts, entrepreneurs who were in business in Russia," he said.
Asked if he would like to see Israelis born in Georgia return there, Saakashvili said, "We want to create conditions for them – as well as for all other Israelis – to explore business opportunities."
He said Israel and Georgia are now exploring the possibility of dual-citizenship for Israelis who immigrated from Georgia.
Saakashvili downplayed Georgian discomfiture with the defaced fresco of legendary Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, located in the 11th century Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem's Valley of the Cross. Damage to the fresco was discovered some three weeks ago, and additional vandalism was discovered when Saakashvili visited the site on Wednesday.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?ssbinary=true&cachecontrol=*%3A0%2C30%3A10+*%2F*%2F*&blobtable=JPImage&blobcol=urlimage&blobwhere=1091072361241&blobkey=id&blobheader=image/jpeg
Mikhail Saakashvili at the Greek Orthodox church in Jerusalem
Saakashvili, who was accompanied on his first trip to Israel by his foreign, defense, and finance ministers, said there is good cooperation between the countries on defense issues.
"We were talking to Israel's defense industries," he said at a press briefing before departing. "We do import some products from the Israeli defense industry, but would like joint ventures for common markets."
He said there is currently a joint Israeli-Georgian enterprise that upgrades old Soviet planes.
In addition to meeting Thursday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Saakashvili met Thursday with the heads of Israel Military Industries, Israel Aircraft Industries, and Elbit.
The 37-year-old president, who led protests that swept Eduard Shevardnadze from office last November in what has come to be know as the Rose Revolution, said the delegation he brought to Israel was the largest he has taken anywhere, including to the US and Russia, and shows the "growth potential" in ties with Israel.
In 2003 the amount of trade between the two countries stood at a paltry $4 million, but Saakashvili said he sees potential in joint business ventures, as well as in tourism.
"Georgia is two hours away from Israel," Saakashvili said, sounding like a tour operator. "We have an extremely hospitable environment, ski resorts, swim resorts, site seeing, lots of culture and history, and friendly people toward Jews."
The problem, one Israeli government official said, is that the poverty-stricken country does not have a tourist infrastructure, and its capital, Tbilisi, only has two hotels that meet western standards.
Saakashvili said that while the 120,000-strong Georgian Jewish community in Israel represents a good bridge between the countries, it is time to develop the ties beyond just the Jewish angle into full-blown, state-to-state relations.
Saakashvili, who put the number of Georgians living in Russia at 500,000, and in Turkey at some 3 million, said proudly that a number of prominent members of the Georgian diaspora are returning home.
"An important sign is that a lot of Georgians are coming back – business people, people in the arts, entrepreneurs who were in business in Russia," he said.
Asked if he would like to see Israelis born in Georgia return there, Saakashvili said, "We want to create conditions for them – as well as for all other Israelis – to explore business opportunities."
He said Israel and Georgia are now exploring the possibility of dual-citizenship for Israelis who immigrated from Georgia.
Saakashvili downplayed Georgian discomfiture with the defaced fresco of legendary Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, located in the 11th century Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem's Valley of the Cross. Damage to the fresco was discovered some three weeks ago, and additional vandalism was discovered when Saakashvili visited the site on Wednesday.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?ssbinary=true&cachecontrol=*%3A0%2C30%3A10+*%2F*%2F*&blobtable=JPImage&blobcol=urlimage&blobwhere=1091072361241&blobkey=id&blobheader=image/jpeg
Mikhail Saakashvili at the Greek Orthodox church in Jerusalem