В Атырау
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Ozurgeti, December 23, 2024 – A grand opening ceremony of the Honorary consulate of Kazakhstan was held in the Guria region, which is known for its sea and mountain resorts such as Ureki, Bakhmaro and Shekvetili.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili, Mayor of Ozurgeti Avtandil Talakvadze, members of Parliament of Georgia and Sakrebulo (local government), as well as representatives of sociopolitical and business circles.
The well-known Georgian businessman, co-owner of the Askaneli Brothers wine company Gocha Chkhaidze, who himself is from Guria, was appointed Honorary Consul.
Opening the ceremony, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Georgia Malik Murzalin noted that the opening of the Kazakh Honorary Consulate in one of the interesting economic, cultural and tourist regions of Georgia is another evidence of the high level of Kazakh-Georgian relations and the preservation of the course for their strengthening.
In turn, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia thanked the Kazakh side for the decision to open another Honorary Consulate in the country. He noted that Kazakhstan is an important partner of Georgia and official Tbilisi is interested in intensifying cooperation with Astana both in bilateral and multilateral formats.
The Mayor of Ozurgeti expressed confidence that this institution will contribute to the expansion of economic cooperation, investment growth, tourism development, and scientific and cultural exchange between the regions and cities of the two republics.
In his speech, Honorary Consul Chkhaidze thanked for the trust in him expressed by the two states and assured that he would make every effort to strengthen Kazakh-Georgian relations. He noted that his plans include the implementation of new projects, the exchange of business delegations and cultural figures, as well as the establishment of twinning relations and interregional cooperation.
An Honorary Consulate is an institution headed by an Honorary (non-staff) consul who, while not in the civil service of the represented state, performs, free of charge, on its instructions and with the consent of the host state, certain consular functions, including the protection of the rights and interests of the represented state and its citizens, but excluding the issuance of visas and other official documents. Today, there are only 5 Honorary Consulates of Kazakhstan operating in various regions of Georgia.