Jewish history museum opens in Tbilisi
TBILISI. Oct 21 (Interfax) - Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili inaugurated a museum of history of Georgian Jews on Monday as part of the celebration of the 26-centuries-long friendship between Jews and Georgians.
"The opening of this museum is yet more proof of the centuries-long friendship between the Georgian and Jewish people," Garibashvili said at the ceremony which was attended by members of the Georgian government and parliament, as well as numerous guests from Israel and other countries.
Garibashvili thanked Georgian former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili who funded the creation of the museum. "(This) attests to the kind of relations that bond the Georgian and Jewish people," said the head of government.
The museum has been named after David Baazov, the founder of the Zionist organization in Georgia, whose active public work contributed to the development and deepening of the Georgian-Jewish friendship.
For her part, Israel's Minister of Immigrant Absorption Sofa Landver, who is leading her country's governmental delegation, said she was happy to revisit Georgia.
"The relations between our countries are very important for us. Georgians and Jews have lived peacefully in Georgia for centuries. We must do everything to ensure our relations get even deeper and stronger," Landver told reporters.
As part of the celebration on October 20-22, Tbilisi is hosting a Georgian-Israeli business forum attended by more than 100 entrepreneurs from Israel, the United States, Russia and Europe, as well as representatives from big companies and business associations, and the international organization of Russian-speaking Jewish businessmen and philanthropists.
The program of festivities includes a presentation of a Jewish translation of The Knight in the Panther's Skin, a poem by the 12th-century Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, a classical music concert with performers from both countries, and other events.